


I Found Love

by AnnNette



Category: Saving Hope
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-13
Updated: 2019-02-12
Packaged: 2019-02-12 11:24:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 34
Words: 58,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12958167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnnNette/pseuds/AnnNette
Summary: Interactions of Sydney and Maggie on their beautiful journey. A slight divergent from the canon. In my own universe.I can't help but to think about these two beautiful people and their love whenever I hear beautiful songs, happy or sad alike.





	1. Everyone Needs

**Author's Note:**

> I am not a proper writer, I just need to let my feelings out in words.  
> I am truly inspired by all the amazing Lintz writers and their stories out there. Thank you to all of them.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A glimpse of Sydney Katz

Everyone needs a loving touch. 

Everyone needs a hug, a kiss. A lover's kiss, a lover's embrace. To be kissed and to kiss in return.

Sydney needs that too, she wanted that. To others she may seemed so cold and unfeeling. No one knows her truly. If they do they would be surprised to know that she is truly a passionate and loving person with a lot of love to share and to give. They would be amazed at how very capable she is at loving.

But who can she share her love with? Who can she shower her affection to?

Her heart will tell. Only her heart, not her mind. Her mind will tell her what is rational. But her heart will tell her beyond rational and logical. She can't even dare to let her heart wonder too far for fear it will show her things she can't dare to admit, things she can't shoulder alone.

But she don't want to be alone anymore. She has been alone for far too long. It was a painful lonely journey she walked. Loneliness is her worst enemy.

She never knew she was lonely all this while. She was busy chasing her dreams, to be the best she can be. To make families and ancestors proud of her, to live up to their expectations. Until...now.

Who is she that dares to rattle her confidence without the slight of fear? No man managed to rattle her in any degree before this, nor there any woman. But this woman, walked up to her asking for a Dr. Sydney Katz with amused smile in her eyes.

What was that she saw in her eyes? Perhaps it was the eyebrows that moves easily whenever she expressed her point. And that smirk on her lips. Her lips..., why was she looking at her lips instead of her eyes? The voice that comes out through that lips sounds like a beautiful melody to her ears. What? She scolded herself. Get a grip on yourself Sydney! She scolded herself.

Perhaps it was her feisty personality. She doesn't seems to be scared of her, unlike any other junior colleagues she has worked with. Perhaps this is a good change she told herself...or is it?


	2. Hello

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first meeting with the real doctor.

"Hi, I am Dr. Maggie Lin" she introduced herself. "I am looking for Dr. Sydney Katz the new Staff OBGYN. I am supposed to report duty to her 10 minutes ago but I got caught on the way here" she added.

 

"I am her". She answered. But Maggie didn't believe her. "I am serious, I am looking for the real doctor" she can't help the amusement in her eyes and voice thinking the other woman was joking with her.

The woman in front of her is much too young to be her new boss. Younger than herself. She could see from her fresh complexion and her youthfulness. But the curt not so amused reply "I am the real doctor" told her otherwise. 

 

"You are late Dr. Lin" she added almost with a scolding tone. "I expect my residents to be punctual and ready all the time". Maggie's eyes widen and she chewed the inside of her lower lip in disbelief and regret as she realized what she has just done. "Oh boy..not a good start" she thought to herself. 

 

"I am sorry Dr. Katz. I didn't expect my new boss to be..." her voice trail off. "Too young?" Sydney finished for her. Maggie cleared her throat and looked away slightly to stopped herself from adding more disaster to the first meeting. "Well, I am not, so get use to it" she continued energetically this time offering a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

 

"Come on, let's go and meet our first patient for today. She has waited long enough" giving the case file and walked out of the consultation room. Maggie nodded keeping a serious face to match her boss' and felled into steps with her thinking she has just lost some marks in the eyes of her new boss.

 

Dr. Maggie Lin is a joy to work with. She has a big heart with easy going in her personality. Everyone seemed to like her. Her colleagues enjoys working with her, her patients adore her. Perhaps it is her beautiful features, her ready smiles, her polite gestures or her caring ways.  She didn't realize the effect she has on her surroundings though. She just give the best she could.  

 

But she is a young doctor, she still has a lot to learn. Her boss on the other hand, she learnt, is a brilliant doctor, a prodigy right from the beginning. She tolerates nothing but excellence in whatever she works on. She should be proud and consider herself lucky to be working under her. She could learn a lot more new things, she told herself as they go through each case together. Sydney is an excellent teacher and she shares her knowledge openly with Maggie. And indeed, her new boss will teach her new things as she will soon find out.

 

She is Jewish, she has an Israeli disposition, she believes in God and medicine in that order, she keeps a kosher home and she goes back early on Friday. Maggie was making a mental note as Sydney slipped those things about herself during their rounds. Sydney doesn't need to ask about Maggie's background. She read her employment file the day before.   

 

"Do you want me to bring you coffee in the morning, Dr. Katz?" she asked suddenly as their rounds came to an end. Sydney gave her a quick look and said "I like hazelnut cappuccino". Her face was expressionless but Maggie thought she saw a glimmer in her eyes.

 

Maggie nodded her lips pursed. Her heart fluttered for a second thinking she has managed to gain that marks back from her boss. "Well, what do you know, I like hazelnut cappuccino too" Maggie said in her heart, biting her smile. But her eyes smiles all the way and her left eyebrow raised. Sydney saw that and she quickly look away.

 

"Good night Dr. Lin, I 'll see you sharp in the morning" and Dr. Sydney Katz left for her office. Maggie followed her with her eyes, feeling somewhat relieved and...inspired.  

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 


	3. Katz Drill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sydney is a no nonsense teacher and Maggie is a diligent leaner

“Good morning Dr. Katz”, Maggie greets. “Here is your cappuccino just the way you liked it.”

Maggie was early and looking sharp the best she could to impress her boss. She was waiting for Sydney at their consultation room where they met the day before. Sydney smiled clearly pleased, took the cup and said her thanks.

She noticed Maggie too had a cup of hazelnut cappuccino in her other hand but she didn’t ask. Reading her expression Maggie quickly said “it’s _so_ happened that our morning booster beverage preference is the same”. She smiled sweetly and moves her eyebrows unconsciously while saying that which made Sydney quickly looked away before Maggie could see her cheeks slowly warmed.

She nodded and replied with a hum instead while turning her attention to a dozen of case files for the day which Maggie has collected for them earlier on.

Sipping their drinks they went through each file with concentration matching those of eagle eyes. They discussed, planned the treatment and proceeded to the wards to do their rounds.

\----

They have been working together for three weeks doing almost the same routine every day except on their off days. They consulted patients, did surgeries together and delivered babies every day.

Most cases were normal deliveries and they cherished the arrivals of pink screaming new-borns in the delivery rooms. Sydney seldom smiles easily, but Maggie can see the joy reached her eyes whenever she receives a new baby in her hands.

Without realising Maggie would look at her boss trying to read her. But she would quickly look away when Sydney caught her. And it wasn’t only Maggie who has been staring.

Sydney too would find herself giving Maggie a long look when Maggie smiled warmly to the babies in her hands. That was of course when she thought no one was looking. But Maggie felt it like she has a sixth sense. She felt it was funny that she felt warm when Sydney did that. She thought it was just the bliss effect of working with new-borns.

“I just adore new-borns, they are like little angels and smell so heavenly”, Maggie crooned to a new baby in her hands with a smile that lightened up the whole room. Sydney can’t help but nodded with the most gorgeous smile Maggie has ever seen. “That’s true, I agree”, Sydney said. They surely have strong working chemistry together which radiated a sense of happiness and security to the new mothers.

When they didn’t deliver babies, they would discuss and brainstorm on difficult or most impossible cases together. Sydney would ask Maggie questions on treatment plans in her intention to prepare her for her board exams.

She would bark at Maggie when she made the slightest mistakes or say the wrong thing. On one occasion Maggie was trying to lighten the mood and answered jokingly when Sydney gave a practise question to her.

She received a glaring stare instead. In a no nonsense tone, Sydney gave the right way to answer, telling her that it was her responsibility to teach Maggie, help her to pass her exams and be an excellent doctor.

“You are teaching a person, I have feelings” Maggie said with clear frustration. “Well I am here to teach you, don’t take it personal” Sydney flared back. Maggie had no choice but to suck it up.

Soon Maggie understood and didn’t repeat the mistake. She tried hard to be the aspiring doctor that Sydney tried to help turn her into. She knew that because Sydney told her so…well, in her own way of course.

Sydney was secretly impressed with her resident but she didn’t show it. She saw how diligent Maggie was at learning new things, asking her questions and making notes. “Maggie is smart and will make a brilliant surgeon in her own rights” she declared to herself in her mind.

Sydney would make sure of it. She would not allow any of her residents to do any less if she could help it. That she vowed. It’s in her. She likes to learn and do research, breaks into new frontiers and possibilities. She’s a natural learner and teacher. She made it her personal cause long time ago when she decided to be a doctor that she would help other human beings to be better in their lives.

Maggie took it all with a stride. She accepted that her boss was hard core. Silently she was grateful for that. She needed the push. She welcomed the drill.

“I am going to be a damn good surgeon, specialised in OBGYN” she hammered that into her brain to lift up her spirit when she felt exhausted. She would make her family proud. She would make a name for herself. And she was most adamant to make her teacher proud if only a little.

 


	4. Comfort Is The Name

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Periods, body chemistry and reality of miscarriage came hard

Sydney was almost skipping along the hallway to meet Maggie at the usual consultation room that morning. Her face was bright her mood was light.

She was looking forward for her morning brew. Well, partly. She was looking forward to working with Maggie like every day that has passed for the last couple of months.

Her steps stopped, her heart dropped. Maggie was crying in the room while sitting on a chair waiting for her. Coffee cups and case files on the desk in front of her.

Maggie sniffled and quickly wiped her eyes and nose with her tissue. Trying to hide her red face, she stood up and looked away for a second to compose herself. But Sydney saw it all.

“Are you ok in here?” she asked gently with genuine concern. Her brows frowned. She had grown fond of her resident to the extent that it bothered her to see her like that.

They have talked about a lot of things, medicine world related mostly, but enough to enter into each other’s comfort zone.

“Hmm, _sniff,_ remember I told you about the miscarriage I had three months ago? This is my first period since”. Maggie’s tears still streaming heavily. Her face pouted still sniffling. “Ohh how adorable even in tears”, Sydney can’t help thinking.

"Are you in any pain?”

“No…not so much, just tired. But it’s taken over my body chemistry and my emotions are so out of control”. She was wearing her sweater over her scrubs that morning. She was feeling extra cold than usual.

Sydney nodded “That can happen."

“Someone cut me at the coffee line this morning and I have been crying ever since”. Maggie can’t stop her tears but she managed a laugh. “Now the laugh just started”.

Sydney looked at her with increasing concern. “Well, laugh or cry, for now pick one and stop doing both. We have patients to see. We don’t want to add to their worries do we now?” She tried to sound as plain as possible. “Hang in there, let me know if you can’t handle it and I will relief you from the morning rounds”.

Maggie murmured “Thanks Dr Katz”. She swallowed her tears, pursed her lips, wiped her eyes and nose again to make herself look presentable. She stepped out of the room together with her boss with coffee and files in hands. She pulled all her strength to go through the day.

\-----

Towards the evening, Maggie looked exhausted and pale. Sydney was worried. Of course she was worried. Maggie is her resident after all. She is responsible for her wellbeing while she is in charge.

“Maggie, come to my office” she firmly said. It was not a suggestion. Maggie was puzzled but followed her.

Maggie, she learnt, has had a few relationships in the past. The most recent once with a fellow doctor who fathered the unborn baby. It didn’t work out. But she had wanted the baby.

She was beginning to look forward to motherhood when suddenly the baby was gone. Maggie was really devastated but she bore it all alone and buried herself in her work to forget about her loss. They have talked about this offhand in between rounds just to get to know each other.

Sydney has never got pregnant. She has never had a boyfriend. But she has learnt and did plenty of research on the matter. Being religious, she applied her religion into her medicine.

She was wise to understand that a woman’s womb is a sacred human vessel. It is in the womb that a miracle happens. A new life forms and grows in there. The womb nourishes and protects that new life. That was why she became an Obstetrician. She wanted to be a part of the miracles unfolding.

Seeing Maggie looked so vulnerable she can’t help but to do something.

She opened her office door, let Maggie in and closed the door behind them. She poured them two glasses of warm water and motioned Maggie to sit on her comfy white leather couch. Seated herself next to Maggie, they drank quietly.

“You know the foetus you loss was more than a flesh. You carried a life. It has already started living” Sydney said softly turning to Maggie. She put down her glass on the coffee table in front of them. Maggie did the same.

“Did you give yourself sometime to mourn for the baby?” Sydney asked very carefully. Her concern was very obvious and she didn’t even try to hide it.

At that, Maggie’s tears started to stream down again and she was sobbing hard. She shook her head. The reality of losing her unborn baby came hard on her right there.

Sydney reached for a box of tissue and offered it to Maggie.

“Can I offer you some comfort?” Sydney asked painfully, her chest tight.

“I could really use some comfort right now”, Maggie wiped her eyes and nose and gave a trembling laugh.

Sydney reached for Maggie’s hands, clasped them with her own gently. Their hands felt soft, warm and comfortable together.

“You write on a piece of paper your entire wish and hope for your baby, and read them out aloud in front of a burning candle. This will help to give you some closure and peace in your heart. It is a way for you to say goodbye. You must be strong and carry on, Maggie.”

Maggie was crying profusely and gripped Sydney’s hands tightly her knuckles started to turn white. She slumped onto Sydney’s right shoulder. Sydney froze but let Maggie continued her sob.

“Maggie needs to cry, she needs to mourn, she needs to let go”, she told herself. It was the least she could do, she thought.

But Maggie’s scent a touch of orchid perfume, smelled so sweet and her vulnerability grown on her. She lifted her left hand and gently patted Maggie’s right shoulder.

Then Maggie snuggled further into her neck. Sydney felt numb at the same time her blood rushed to her face straight to her head. She was intoxicated. She can’t breathe. She forgot to breathe.

All she could feel was Maggie’s wet cheek on her neck, her warm breath in between sobs. Her lips so close to her throat. Sydney swallowed hard involuntarily. Her hands subconsciously wrapped Maggie into a hug, wait no, it was more of an embrace.

Sydney’s left hand stroke Maggie’s hair gently to soothe her. Her right hand runs up and down Maggie’s back to ease her sorrow.

She could feel Maggie relaxed and her sobbing subsided. But she was still leaning into her with eyes closed. She just let her. They stayed like that for some ten minutes. All the while Sydney could feel the warmth from her stomach rose slowly to her chest it tightened. Her heart beat faster she wondered if Maggie could feel the loud thud.

She swallowed hard again. Her emotions played trick on her it caused her headache. “What is happening” she asked herself. She felt dizzy but in a delicious way. This was all so alarming and new to her.

“Maggie..” she whispered. Her left hand tucked her strayed hair behind her ear. Then she used the back of her fingers to slowly caress her tear stained cheek. She can’t help herself. Something in her wanted to feel that soft smooth skin. She gazed at the swollen red lips caused by crying.

She traced her index finger ever so lightly along her jawline and down her throat. Maggie moaned at this. Or did she imagine that? She can’t tell. She can’t handle this. This was all too much for her. She has never felt that way before.

Maggie’s scent, she clinging to her for comfort like that aroused an unfamiliar desire in her. She knew what desire was. She’s a doctor, of course she knew what desire was. But she never felt it that intense before.

What was she supposed to do? She could wake Maggie up and ask her to leave. But she didn’t. She didn’t want Maggie to go. Not right now. She felt so good in her arms. She wanted her right there for as long as she wanted to.

“Maggie..” she whispered again. This time she kissed Maggie’s head. Maggie snuggled deeper and Sydney kissed her forehead. At the feeling of Sydney’s warm lips on her forehead Maggie opened her eyes. She slowly looked up to Sydney’s face. Their eyes locked. The eyes that met Maggie’s were hooded. There was ocean of desire in them. “Those eyes are so pretty and gentle” Maggie thought. She was lost in those eyes that she swallowed hard.

The same eyes gazed lower longingly at her lips when she felt a hand cupped her jaw to lift up her face. Sydney’s warm soft lips were on hers before she knew it planting a long passionate kiss. She shuddered.

Maggie didn’t think but returned the kiss with the same passion. Her hands crawled up behind to support Sydney’s head and neck. Sydney’s hands went around Maggie wrapping her pulling her closer.

Neither of them has ever kissed a woman that way before but that didn’t stop them. They just gave in to the raw desire in that moment in time. How the other felt so good intoxicated their mind.

They pulled away some fifteen minutes or so later gasping for air with forehead on forehead and arms still wrapping each other. When they finally came back to reality, both looked shy and let go of the other slowly.

Sydney stood up first cleared her throat and smoothen down her coat while searching for what to say. She looked away momentarily before slowly turning to face Maggie. She was almost certain she would see a terrified Maggie.

But she didn’t. All she saw was almost smiling gentle eyes. Something glimmered in those deep brown eyes. Could it be passion? Could it be the same passion that she felt in her kiss? Maggie kissed her back. Why has Maggie kissed her back?

“Maggie..” she whispered for the third time. “I am sorry. I shouldn’t have done that. I don’t know what has got into me. It just happened. Please forgive me. This will not happen again. I meant to comfort you. But what I did was out of line”

“Sydney..Syd. It’s ok. There is nothing to forgive. I kissed you back remember? And I am not sorry even if you were.” She was doing her smiley fluffy eyes at Sydney which made her heart flipped flopped.

“If it is any comfort to you, you did comfort me. Thank you” Maggie added holding her gaze. Sydney’s hands in both of hers.

“Please let this be between only the two of us” Sydney begged, her eyes somehow teary with a hint of fear now.

Maggie’s heart went out to her. “It will be our secret. A secret I will cherish” she whispered, lifting Sydney’s hands to her lips. Sydney closed her eyes feeling her whole being trembled at Maggie’s gesture. She moved closer to her personal space touched Sydney’s face with the back of her right fingers and planted a butterfly kiss on her lips. “I think I like you Dr. Katz”. Sydney blinked and swallowed hard.

“Good night Dr. Katz. See you tomorrow” Maggie stepped out of the office leaving her staring at her back.

“Good night..” Sydney’s voice was inaudible as she felt her legs weaken under her weight. How was she to face tomorrow and pretend like nothing happened? She felt her perfect world just came crumbling around her. Did she hear correctly? Did Maggie say she liked her? What does she mean by that? Ohh..what is she going to do? The questions came hammering on her head. She felt dizzy and dropped back to the couch.


	5. Whispering Minds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maggie’s and Sydney’s minds have a lot to say

Maggie entered the hospital with smiling eyes and high spirit the next morning. She went straight to buy their coffee as usual. The bubbly excitement she felt from the event that unfolded the evening before still very much evidently influenced her mood.

She went home last night feeling high in the clouds. She took her shower, had her dinner and wrote to her unborn baby just as Sydney has taught her to do. She cried while writing the letter and she sobbed while reading it in front of a burning candle. By the end of it, she could feel the ache and sadness from her heart slowly disappeared. She felt sweet release and heavenly peace washed over her as if an angel embraced her at that very moment.

She took one long deep breath and all her anxiety left her. “Ohh, Sydney is brilliant and wise,” she thought, thanking the heaven for the inner peace she felt. As she went to take her much needed sleep, her mind revisited the event that happened in Sydney’s office.

Sydney was all so comforting. Her vanilla scented perfume smelled so good. _Sydney_ smelled so good. Her _arms_ felt so good she can’t help but to sink herself closer and deeper into Sydney’s space.

Something awaken in her that she never knew she could feel towards a woman. It has never crosses her awake imagination before. Let alone to have _that_ imagination towards Sydney, her boss. Her boss; a very beautiful, brilliant and wise woman. Young she may be, but her brilliant mind always amazed her. She is proud to work with her.

Now, she is feeling something different towards her boss. What exactly is she feeling? Is attraction? Is it affection? Maggie has said that she _liked_ her. It didn’t escaped her that Sydney had looked somewhat terrified at her bold declaration.

She has always liked her boss. But after tasting those warm sweet lips, the moist in her mouth, the moan that they shared, the feel from their embrace, Maggie knew she can’t turn away from any of those anymore.

Maggie’s mind was dragged back to the present moment when she received a text on her hand phone from Sydney. She asked Maggie to go ahead with the morning rounds without her as she was on her way to attend a meeting in another hospital some one hour drive from their hospital.

Maggie’s heart sank. She was so looking forward to meet Sydney that morning. “She didn’t say anything about the meeting yesterday,” thought Maggie. “Is she trying to avoid me?”

Sydney at that very moment was in her car driving towards her meeting. She received an email about a week ago from the OBGYN organisation she joined requesting her to attend the meeting. She meant to tell Maggie in person yesterday, but what happened in her office has left her so shocked that she forgot what to think or say.

She went home last night still feeling Maggie in her arms. The taste of her mouth and the smell of her scent kept coming back to her mind. She didn’t sleep well. She laid awake for many hours thinking what had happened. She was fond of Maggie. Her beautiful, smart, diligent and kind hearted resident had slowly entered her life without her realising it.

She never admitted it, but the warmth in her heart, the tingling in her toes and the giddiness in her head told her that what she felt was more than just mere fondness. She _liked_ the girl and it terrified her. Maggie has unleashed something raw in her that she has never dare to admit before. She has been keeping it a secret. But after that kisses they shared, Sydney didn’t think she can turn away from her feelings anymore.

Maggie has said she liked her. Her very word “ _I think I liked you Dr. Katz_ ” echoed in her head. “What did she meant by that?” she thought as she drifted to a few hours of sleep.

\----

The morning went by uneventful. Maggie knew her ropes. She has been doing them together with Sydney since two months ago. One of the nurses tagged along to assist her. Maggie can’t help but to feel the emptiness in her heart at Sydney’s absence.

“I will meet her soon later,” she tried to talk some sense into her mind.

Sydney’s meeting lasted for three hours. After the meeting they had a light refreshment. She was invited to a proper lunch at a restaurant nearby but she politely declined saying she has some urgent matters to attend to. But she knew it was more of s _ome urgent matters of the heart to attend to._ She can’t wait to see Maggie.

She caught her mind strayed numerous times to find the other girl. That has never happened to her before. She was always been able to maintain her professionalism. “Could this be that I am… _in love_?” the question popped in her head. “Is this how love feels like? But how would Maggie feels about me? About all these? Maggie has never into _girls_ before. Unlike…” All those questions came in high speed to her brain.

She thought of dismissing all her feelings towards Maggie but something in her heart kept pulling her back to their kisses, their feel good embrace. That beautiful girl with her cheery laughs, melodious voice, sweet lips, soft skin, gentle deep brown eyes,…., she went on and on listing all the things she liked about Maggie.

Maybe love does aptly summarizes all those things she thought tenderly about Maggie.

“I am her boss, she is my resident,” she told herself. This can’t come out. _She_ can’t come out. It is not good for the two of them. But she will be brave about this. She will not take the cowardly way of just brushing Maggie aside and leave her hanging in the dark.

“I will talk to her.”

 

 


	6. Hearts Homeless No More

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The hearts found their homes

As she parked her car at the hospital, Sydney texted Maggie. “Meet me in ten at my office and bring us some lunch.”

When she reached her office, she saw Maggie was already waiting for her by the door with two cups of coffee and two packs of sandwiches.

Sydney froze on her steps when their eyes met. Maggie’s face lighted up upon seeing her. Sydney can’t help but feeling her heart soared. They offered smiles beneath pursed lips to the other. The air between them was electrifying. Maggie was standing nervously while Sydney slotted her keys into the door knob.

Maggie placed the coffee and sandwiches on the coffee table but she didn’t take her sit. She glanced quickly at the couch where it all happened yesterday. She was still standing waiting for Sydney to say something first. Sydney walked to her desks, put down all her stuff, shrugged out of her outside coat and replacing it with her lab coat. All the while she was composing what to say to Maggie.

Slowly, she turned to face Maggie who was clasping her clammy hands together obviously feeling as nervous as Sydney.

Sydney smiled gingerly at last. “Hi,” she managed. “I see you managed to bring us lunch. It’s good to have a picnic in the office once in a while.” It was not the perfect thing to say but it was all she could came up with to break the tension in the room.

Maggie gave an incredulous laugh. “Oh my God, this is so nerve racking,” she said, taking a deep ever so nervous breath. Sydney smiled, walked to close the door and motioned them to sit at the couch.  Maggie nodded, all the while breathing tightly.

“Shall we eat?” said Sydney, more to invite than to ask. Maggie just nodded and smiled her sweetest smile. Sydney flashed her most gorgeous smile bashfully as she reached for her treat. She has paid Maggie for all the coffee and food that she helped her to buy ever since they started to work together of course. It wouldn’t be proper for her to let Maggie pay for her.

After five minutes of eating in silence, at last Sydney made the first move to say something. “You must be wondering why I….” she looked away hesitated to say the word. “Kissed me? The kiss, we kissed,” Maggie blurted out in a matter of fact manner. Sydney looked at her bewildered. She was surprised the other girl could say the word with ease.

Sydney was still contemplating what to say next when Maggie added “I kind of missed you this morning,” her eyes glimmered tenderly. At that, Sydney felt her heart suddenly beat out a loud thud. She swallowed and felt her cheeks blushed heavily.

“Did you know that you looked so hot when you blushed?” Maggie whispered. “Ermm..Maggggie, please don’t tease me,” Sydney said softly, clearly embarrassed that she had to look away.

“I find myself wondering a lot about you too this morning,” Sydney admitted shyly as she rubbed her clammy hands on her skirt. At that, Maggie smiled brightly, raised one eyebrow and she smirked in her most adorable way that only she could do.

“Maggie, I have never done anything like I did yesterday before. It terrifies me. There is something you need to know about me. Not a living soul knows this,” she hesitated and gave Maggie a quick sideway glance. Maggie waited with anxious eyes, she held her breath.

“We are adults, no doubt bonded to the restrictions of our own beliefs. I for one am bonded to these restrictions. My belief condemned this inclination I am heading towards. But, I have endured torturous feelings ever since I can remember, knowing I cannot have what my heart desires. I will lose everything I hold dear if I give in. My parents, my family, my community and maybe my reputation. I love my family so much. They have been wonderful to me. They meant the world to me. But there is this nagging loneliness so deep inside that they cannot fulfil,” Sydney paused for a while.

Then she continued, “I thought I can keep up with it. But you have awaken something so fiercely raw inside of me that I cannot deny anymore.” She added, “What we did, we did it subconsciously. It could be the effect of sorrow and sadness.”

Maggie pursed her lips but then she said, “I have never kissed anyone like I kissed you. No one has ever made me feel like you made me feel.” She paused before she added, “I said _I think I liked you_ but I don’t think that is true anymore.”

Sydney felt her heart dropped and confused.

“I think…I am falling for you,” Maggie looked earnestly into Sydney’s eyes when she said this.

At that, Sydney stared at Maggie. She didn’t blink for some milliseconds. Her lips trembled. Her hands turned cold. Her toes felt numb. She didn’t know if she was hearing Maggie correctly.

“Maggie, what are you talking about?” she asked quietly.

“I said I am falling for you. Like love kind of falling,” Maggie smiled sheepishly at Sydney.

She watched Maggie’s nose in case it twitched. From their time of working together, by now Sydney would know if Maggie is fibbing whenever her nose twitches. But it didn’t.

Sydney released a heavy sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose to release some tension she was feeling.

“I must be true to you. There is something you should know about me,” Sydney said in a nervous voice. Swallowing hard, “I like girls. There I said it,” she nodded her head several times as if to confirm that. She brushed her hands on her face hoping it won’t looked so guilty.

Then she felt Maggie’s hands crept to find hers and laced them together. They felt the sparks at the contact.

“I have never been attracted to girls before, but I am _really_ attracted to you. I have always been attracted to you. I didn’t realise it in the beginning, but looking back now I know I’ve always been attracted to you ever since we met,” Maggie confessed.

One hand reaching for Sydney’s face turning her to meet her own eyes. Her thumb slowly trace the line of her lower lip sending shivering signals to Sydney’s core.

From eyes meeting eyes, their gazes moved lower to the other’s parted lips. Maggie moved in and kissed Sydney tentatively as if seeking permission. Sydney took one deep breath and dived in for Maggie’s awaiting lips.

They tasted each other’s moist mouth, hands moved eagerly pulling their bodies closer and closer. Sydney abandoned Maggie’s lips to taste her cheeks, her neck and her throat. Maggie groaned and gave Sydney more space to kiss wherever she wanted. Maggie felt giddy. Her hands entered Sydney’s luxurious red locks and her fingers stroke her scalp tenderly. Sydney moaned deliciously.

Then she went up to meet Maggie’s abandoned mouth again. Her tongue seeking and tasting Maggie’s mouth in a hunger she began to familiar with. Maggie’s passion matched her own and more.

They spent the next twenty minutes kissing and loving the other until their hunger subsided. Locked in tight embrace, they could feel the other’s heartbeat and heavy warm breath.

“Maggie, I do have so much feelings for you. I won’t deny that,” Sydney said with laboured breath arms still holding the other girl close. Maggie had buried her head in Sydney’s neck loving her sweet scent and soft skin.

“But, we can’t let this out yet. _I_ can’t let this out yet,” Sydney added. “I will have a lot of explaining to do if we let this out. I am not ready to face my family yet about who I am. It is not proper for the hospital to know too because you are still under my charge.”

Maggie nodded, still holding her tightly. She breathed Sydney in, kissing her neck, up her throat and meeting her lips passionately again. “I understand. I know I want to be with you if you will have me. Let’s get to know each other, we can go slow, you set the pace. I don’t mind to be your secret for now. You have so much to lose and I understand that perfectly,” Maggie said with clear patient and tenderness.

Then she added “but after what has happened between us, I could not imagine myself without you anymore.”

Sydney’s eyes were teary and she gave Maggie a long deserving kiss again which Maggie returned gladly.

Some half an hour later when their lunch break was up, they left Sydney’s office together to continue with their afternoon rounds.

As they walked along the empty hallway, Maggie purposely brushes her fingers with Sydney’s. They both felt the tingling down their spine, right down their toes.

In return, Sydney used her pinky finger to lightly scratch Maggie’s own. Maggie smiled to herself without looking at Sydney. From the corner of her eyes, she could see Sydney bashfully smiled while looking to the front.

Their hearts have finally found their home.

 


	7. Next Page – Bossa Skyfall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Going on a date with her girl feels so good.

“So, what are you doing tonight?” Maggie’s voice startled Sydney. She didn’t realise the other girl has followed her into the elevator. They have just finished their shift for the day and she was on her way up to her office at the 10th floor of the hospital. She was thinking about her meeting that morning and the talk she has had with Maggie during lunch time in her office which went very _eventful_. They have delivered three new-borns in that one afternoon. It was a very satisfying job for them.

“Oh..nothing in particular, just go home and rest I guess,” Sydney answered, smiling shy and sweet at Maggie.

Maggie moves to stand closer to Sydney. She purposely brushes her shoulder with Sydney’s and leans to speak over her head.

“Ermm..can I suggest something more interesting than that?”      

Sydney swallowed nervously, she feels her heart racing. “What do you have in mind?” The question serves as permission for Maggie to suggest her plan.

“Let’s go for a dinner together at this cosy café I know. They serve kosher food and offer decent entertainment too.”

“What kind of entertainment?” Sydney asked with a joking smirk.

“Oh..just some singers doing covers of other singers’ songs. They are pretty good.”

“Hmm..I like good songs that are kind to the ears, takes the stress away, you know” said Sydney.

“So….is that a yes?”

“Ok”. Sydney smiles brightly feeling like a teenager who has just been asked to a date by her crush. And Maggie is certainly more than just a crush for her.

She has had crushes before, but she will keep them to herself for now. She didn’t want to spoil the moment with Maggie when they are just beginning to know each other deeper.

“Cool. I’ll just change and meet you at your office in ten minutes,” Maggie winks and smiles back.

“My office? Why not meet me at the entrance; we’ll go in my car?” Sydney didn’t catch Maggie’s covert intention.

“Because, I want to top up my _ration_ for the day,” Maggie answers just in time as the elevator doors open to her on-call room on the 5 th floor. She went out after a light brush on Sydney’s arm leaving a puzzled Sydney staring at her back.

Ten minutes later Maggie was at Sydney’s doorway leaning quietly against the door frame tenderly looking at Sydney who was still clearing up her stuff on her desk. She has changed from her scrubs to her casual clothing, added strawberry lip gloss to her lips, brushes her hair and let it down over her shoulders. She looks breathtakingly beautiful to Maggie.

She didn’t realise Maggie is already there that she jumps when Maggie cleared her throat to pronounce her presence.

“Hi,” Sydney said shyly. “Give me just a minute, I’ll grab my coat.”

Maggie comes in, closes the door behind her and moves closer to Sydney. She still feels nervous every time Maggie comes close to her space.

“Before we go…I just need to …” Maggie just leave it at that but continues with her hands. She gathered Sydney into her warm embrace and breathes her in.

“Ohhh…I’ve missed you,” she whispered shakily while nuzzling into Sydney’s soft neck which makes her moans sweetly.

Sydney could feel Maggie curves her body in to find her own curves. She too was shaking.

“But we’ve been working together the whole afternoon, and we have been together during lunch time, remember?” Sydney jokes softly lifting her face to meet Maggie’s.

“Mhmm…it makes me even missed you more,” Maggie’s hooded eyes are full of desire, she couldn’t wait and dives for Sydney’s already parted smiling mouth.   

Their kisses are fiery fire and deliciously passionate they could take each other there and then on the floor. But both know that would not be appropriate. Not when they have just agreed to take things slow.

Sydney breaks the kiss first, she leans her head on Maggie’s shoulder, she pants for breath and says, “We have got to stop now or we will never go to this place you mentioned.”

Maggie too panting for breath, her eyes close while nodding. “Let’s go.”

They leave Sydney’s office together side by side, trying to gain back their composure. But their minds keep going back to their physical attractions.

They said their good nights to the staffs and nurses who great them on the way as they reach the car park.

“Where to Dr. Lin?” Sydney asks with a hidden smile.

“Down town Dr. Katz.” Maggie smiles.

As they slide into the car, they look at each other and squeeze hands.

The drive took half an hour as one _Bossa Café_ comes into view. They park the car in front of the café and walk in. The interior looks cosy as Maggie said, with someone singing softly in the background.

A good looking waiter greets them. Maggie tells him that they want a more private table and he shows them the way.

“Do you come here often?” Sydney asks as they take their seats.

“Just a couple of time,” she answers.

“Do you come with someone?” Sydney dares the question trying not to sound prying or anything.

“With a few friends,” Maggie says and smiles.

Sydney nods and smiles behind pursed lips.

“Let’s look at the menu shall we?” she starts trying to change the subject. Maggie agrees “Yeap”.

There are a few delicious sounded dishes on the menu, all kosher for Sydney to pick. She settled on fish and potatoes salad while Maggie goes for the chicken salad.

Both ordered red wine to go with their meals.

As they wait for their order to be ready, they look to the stage where the singer is just starting to sing a new song. The singing is so lovely they are both mesmerised and attentive. Maggie smiles to herself when she notices that Sydney taps her fingers on the table and nods her head a little following the rhythm. Her own shoulders and head sway softly following the music.

“I have never heard this song being sung in _bossa_ version before. It is so beautiful and the singer’s voice makes the song sound rather sexy,” Sydney said.

“Mhmm..isn’t it?” Maggie agrees and smiles.

“Isn’t this the soundtrack song of a famous action movie?” Sydney asks.

“Not bad Dr. Katz,” Maggie gives Sydney a sexy look while sipping her wine. This makes Sydney blushes not only from the wine.

The singer’s rendition makes their night even more romantic and electrifying.

They were interrupted when the same waiter brings their food. He smiles handsomely at Sydney but smiles longer at Maggie. She didn’t notice but Sydney did.

“Enjoy your dinner,” he says and leaves.

“He fancies you,” Sydney says and smiles without looking at Maggie.

“Does he now? I didn’t notice,” she answers while her hands busy with her fork and knife.

Before she starts eating, Sydney bends her head and says her prayer. Maggie stops cutting her food when she sees what Sydney is doing and waited until she is done.

“Did you pray for me too?” Maggie asks then pursed her lips.

“Yes I did,” Sydney answers, her eyes are gentle. “I always do.”

At that Maggie looks into her light green eyes because she thinks Sydney is joking but what she finds is pure honesty.

“Thank you, I didn’t know you do that,” Maggie murmured.

“It’s ok, I don’t make it a habit to tell people that I pray for them,” Sydney smiles.

“How’s your salad?” she changes the subject.

“It’s good. How is yours?” Maggie says in return.

“Delicious,” Sydney nods and lifts a piece of potato into her mouth.

“This place is good Maggie. The food is good and I like the entertainment. Thank you for bringing me here.”

“You are very welcome. And…how about the _company_?” Maggie asks melodiously.

“I _especially_ like the company.” Sydney looks up and meets Maggie’s eyes tenderly. She reaches for Maggie’s right hand and squeezes. They didn’t let go and continue eating with one hand until the waiter comes again with their complementary dessert; _coconut pudding_.

“This pudding is one of their popular desserts. You must try it.”

“And I shall,” Sydney smiles with her eyebrows lifted.

The next day is still a working day and they have to wake up early in the morning for their morning shift. It is ten o’clock and both decide they should call it a night but not until they enjoy another _bossa_ rendition from the singer; this time a rather slow romantic tune.

“I wish I could dance with you on the dance floor,” Maggie says softly while holding Sydney’s hand under the table.

Sydney looks at her with hooded eyes and her gaze scans all over Maggie.

“I wish I could too,” she swallowed.

When the song ends, they leave the café and as they walk towards the car, Sydney reaches for Maggie’s hand and lace their fingers.

“I’ll send you home,” she says.

“Thanks. That way you will know where my apartment is..just in case.” Maggie winks.

Sydney laughs and blushes at the same time. The night turns out to be really heart warming for the both of them.

“I am so looking forward to our coming _adventures_ ,” Maggie says giving Sydney a light hug since they are still in public view.

“So am I,” Sydney replies while smiling brightly.

Both know what the word _adventure_ really means to them.


	8. Closer In The Closet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fluffy feels float around them and more private talks is good

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the hits, kudos and comments. I do read your comments and I appreciate them kindly.

Maggie is almost waltzing as she enters the elevator to go up to meet Sydney in her office on the 10th floor. One ear is plugged with an ear piece connected to her smart phone.

She is listening to a beautiful song with romantic waltz melody. _“..just like me..they longed to be.. close to you,”_ she sings softly to herself following the song. She has a pretty voice to match her pretty features and she can dance thanks to the dance classes her mother sent her to when she was younger.

Earlier that morning Sydney has texted Maggie to meet up in her office for their _consult_ before doing their rounds. Sydney is feeling a bit tired as she can’t make herself fall asleep fast enough that night due to the excitement from her night out with Maggie.

She has stayed up late in bed counting stars and feeling her heart beats in happy rhythm. When she finally dozed off she found herself sliding on rainbows and jumping happily from clouds to clouds like a child.

She was awoken rudely from her slumber that morning by her alarm clock and she smiled to herself as she tried to picture back her dreams.

Sydney is humming the song that they heard at the café last night when she hears soft taps on her door. A beaming Maggie looks so beautiful comes in with their breakfasts of coffee and banana muffins. She puts them down on the coffee table and moves to close the door.

Then she waltzes towards Sydney after she replays the same song she was listening to in her phone. That makes Sydney smirks and blushes in her smile while shaking her head in amusement.

Maggie comes closer to Sydney and plugs the other ear piece to Sydney’s ear. Sydney raises her eyebrows to focus on the song and she smiles brilliantly when she catches on the song.

_“Why do birds suddenly appear, every time you are near…just like me they longed to be close to you …_

_Why do stars fall down from the skies, every time you walk by…just like me they longed to be close to you…”_

Maggie offers her hands to Sydney for a waltz and she shyly takes them. Maggie leads her and they laugh together.

“Hmmm..this is nice. You have smooth moves,” Sydney says softly.

“Thanks to my mom,” Maggie answers bringing Sydney’s hand to her heart and pulling her closer by the waist as she rubs her cheek against Sydney’s and they sway along.

Sydney’s left arm wraps Maggie on her shoulder and her fingers caress Maggie’s neck in rhythm. Maggie’s warm breath softly fans Sydney’s ear. They breathe each other in and close their eyes to feel the moment.

“Mmmm…you smell _so good.”_ Maggie drawls.

“Yeahh? Well you _drugged_ me,” Sydney whispered. “I lose my sense of self control whenever you are close.”

“Is that a bad thing?” Maggie asks her eyes still shut as she nuzzles deeper into Sydney’s neck.

“ _No_ ….,” Sydney manages to say huskily as she exhales shakily and presses her body closer to Maggie.  

They hold each other in that position for a whole three minutes and just before the song ends, they find themselves gazing into each other’s eyes in tender adoration. There is something in the glimmers but they can’t seem to point what it is.

When Sydney sees Maggie bite her lower lip, she licks her own and slowly moves in to kiss Maggie on her mouth. Maggie quickly welcomes her passionately with parted lips. She loves it when Sydney makes the first move.

As they share soft deep kisses they feel the arousal in their core. Body heat increases, voices hoarse, moans floating in the room. With reluctance Sydney breaks their kisses first before things go out of control and pulls away slowly when reality comes back to her.

Inhaling a deep shaky breath Sydney asks “Maggie..are you sure you want to do this… _with_ _me_? Are you absolutely sure this is what you want?”

“Why?..Are you tired of me already Dr. Katz? Am I boring you? Are you having second thoughts about us?” Maggie asks continuously. Her left eyebrow lifts unconsciously and her eyes widen showing her dark brown eyes clearly. They are both still standing while holding hands in the middle of the room.

“ _No, no, no!_...not at all. In fact it’s quite the contrary.” Sydney answers quickly.

“It’s just that you were never into girls before and I don’t want that _identity_ to stick to you forever once we are out. I am just making sure you are ok, and I want to let you know that it is ok if you want to change your mind now.”

“Syd…if I am not sure, why do I feel this way about you? Why do I hate the idea of not having you for myself? I am kind of selfish in that sense you know.” Maggie says in a serious tone but winks one eye at her last sentence.

“ _Maaggiee_ …” is all that Sydney can whisper.

“You are my _first_ romance Maggie, I don’t really know how to do this,” she adds shyly.

At that, Maggie pulls Sydney in, cradles her head into her chest, holds her ever so tender and kisses her head. “I’ve got you sweetheart,” she whispers.

“There is nothing I won’t do to make you feel my love”…Maggie quoted a song in Sydney’s ear and kisses it. Sydney chuckles at the quote but she feels drunk in Maggie’s arms upon hearing her endearing words.

“You know, when we got hold of a very engaging, exciting and thrilling new book, we couldn’t let go? We just want to go on reading to know what happens in the next page.” Maggie adds.

“Yeaah…?” answered Sydney in a curious manner. “So, you are comparing us to a book?” she adds jokingly with a pout.

“Not just any book. In our case it is a romance book.” Maggie smiles sweetly showing all her front teeth.

Sydney lets out her deep throaty laugh which Maggie always find so adorable.

“Speaking of books, I have a dozen of books for you to prepare yourself for your board exam next week.” Sydney says, her tone switches automatically to a teacher’s tone.

“ _A dozen!_? How will I read them all in a week’s time? What with all the shifts and rounds?” Maggie’s eyes open wide in disbelief.

“I can help you study if you wish. We can do it in practice questions mode, it will be faster and efficient that way. We can do it here, my place or your place. Wherever we find convenient,” Sydney adds.

“Ok, _and_ I do wish,” Maggie answers with a wide grin.

Sydney smiles and can’t help but pecks Maggie on the cheek.

“We better eat our breakfast now or we will be late for rounds. The nurses will be wondering where we are.”

“But wait, so…are we ok?” Maggie asks tilting her head.

“We are more than ok.” Sydney nods and grins.

Maggie chuckles and gives a long butterfly kiss on Sydney’s lips one more time before turning them towards the coffee table.

If only the air around them has colours, there will be rainbow colours around them.


	9. <S.O.S.> For Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Insecurity and a hint of jealousy weakens the hearts

“How are you feeling nowadays?” Sydney asks Maggie as they walk together to the nurses’ station. Her tone is genuinely honest. They’ve just been paged by one of the nurses for an urgent case.

“What do you mean?” asks Maggie with a little puzzle.

“Well, just a week ago your emotions were all over the places when your period started again,” Sydney explains.

“Oh... _that_. I am feeling normal again. Thanks to you. I wrote a letter to my baby and read it in front of a burning candle as you suggested. It worked. I slept well that night and felt much better the next day. You remember the day you went for that meeting in the morning? That was the day,” Maggie adds.

“I’m glad,” Sydney says, and then purses her lips and nods at the same time.

Sydney remembers back, she can never forget that day. The day Maggie and she told each other that they thought about the other the whole morning. The day that Maggie and she sort of agreed to get to know each other closer and deeper in a romantic way. The day they kissed passionately on the couch in her office.

“I am _clean_ now,” Maggie says melodiously but so soft that only Sydney can hear. Her words break Sydney’s thoughts.

“Sorry?” Sydney asks. It’s her turn to feel puzzled.

“My period, I am clean now,” says Maggie with amusement in her eyes.

“Oh…ok! Well, you don’t have to tell me that. That is kind of private don’t you think?” It’s Sydney’s turn to feel amused.

“Just in case you are wondering, is all,” Maggie says but looks away to hide the blush on her face.

“Hmmm..,” Sydney hums and nods at Maggie’s reply. “Well, so you know, I was not wondering,” she adds innocently.

Maggie purses her lips to hide a smile. “Sydney really did not catch on,” she thinks to herself.

As they reach the nurses’ station, one rather pretty and slender nurse approaches them and exclaims “Dr. Katz! Oh good you are here!”

“Nurse Nora! What do you have for us?” Sydney asks her.

The nurse briefs them that a trauma case just came in for them while handing the patient’s file to Sydney.

She smiles sweetly at Sydney trying to catch her attention. But Sydney does not notice what she is doing. Sydney takes the patient’s file from her and scans all the details and tests results with precision focus.

Maggie however, notices. She narrows her eyes and pretends to clear her throat to get the nurse back on track. The nurse quickly gains her composure and retreats behind the counter.

Maggie fists her hands in her lab coat pockets and discreetly chews her inner cheek. She can’t believe what she just saw. “Is that girl flirting with Dr. Katz? Is she trying to gain Sydney’s favour?” she can’t help thinking. If only she is a dragon, she will breathe hot flares out of her nostrils to _shoo_ that girl away, or any other person who tries to get near Dr. Katz, she muses in her brain.

“Maggie!” called Sydney. “Where _were_ you?” Sydney does not look amused.

“Right here…I am _right_ here..,” Maggie stammers when she realises that Sydney has been talking to her the whole time she was planning her _dragon style_ attack.

“Obviously your mind is not with me,” Sydney says softly.

“Ohh…believe me, my mind _is_ full of you,” Maggie says but looks to the floor to hide her blush.

That in return brings deep red colour to Sydney’s cheeks. She quickly looks around in case anyone can hear them.

“We should work on some codes that we can use, Dr. Lin,” Sydney says.

“I agree Dr. Katz.” Maggie nods pretending to be in a serious discussion with Sydney.

………………

The case turns out to be a very difficult and rare one. An expectant mother in her eighth month pregnancy felled down while putting up a mobile. She slipped into a coma.

Sydney and Maggie work around the clock for the next 24 hours to monitor the mother and the baby in the womb and making sure both are in comfortable vital signs.

However after much tests and monitoring, the mother was pronounced brain dead but her baby in her womb is still alive.

Together with a brain surgeon, Sydney explains to the woman’s husband that the baby can still live and come to term if the mother continues to be placed under life support.

After listening to his options, with a wrenched heart the husband tells them that he decides to terminate the life support.

His decision surprises Sydney and she tries to persuade him to leave the life support on for the baby’s sake. She feels that the decision is betraying the mother’s trust and denying the baby’s right to live.

But the husband won’t budge.

Later on, four doctors come together to consult further about the husband’s decision. Sydney and Maggie are two of them. The other two are one male doctor and one female doctor. The male doctor happens to be Maggie’s ex, a psychiatrist.

“Is no one willing to fight for this? There is a life in there!” Sydney exclaims.

Maggie’s ex says it is not their fight. He is standing so close to Maggie that Sydney can’t help but to notice uncomfortably. A hint of jealousy creeps in her though she tries to avoid feeling it.

The other female doctor says they don’t have any choice because the husband being the next of kin has decided.

Maggie looks sad at Sydney and says “There is nothing we could do”.

Pressing her temples with her left fingers, Sydney looks at her and says “I cannot accept that.” Biting the urge to yell at someone, she waves her hand in hopelessness and walks away leaving the other doctors in mixed emotions.

 _“Maggie’s ex”_ the thought keeps coming back to Sydney’s mind.

“Nora! Come with me!” she calls out loud at the nurse at the counter.

Nurse Nora quickly rose to her feet and follows Sydney.

Maggie fidgets in alarm. She knows it is nothing more than about work but she feels her heart drops to her knees.

……………………..

Sydney loves life; she respects the life in the woman’s womb. Even though they can’t save the woman’s life, there is still hope for the baby, she thought.

Her fiery argument was fuelled by that fact. And maybe.. _well probably.._ was coupled by Maggie’s ex’s presence earlier on too.

The case has taken a whole 24 hours of their shifts that day with no time to rest in each other’s company privately. They didn’t even get to eat together in between shifts.

Sitting alone in her office, Sydney feels so tired and helpless. Quietly she prays for divine intervention.

She is trying to find ways to talk the husband out of his decision before it is too late the next day. Worst, she does not want the husband to go ahead with his decision that he will definitely regret when things calm down.

Terminating the life support would mean terminating the baby’s very innocent life and denying the baby a chance to live. It would mean wiping the memory of the mother that would have lived on in the baby.

…………………

Sydney looks so deep in thought in the wee morning. Her left hand rubbing her eyebrow as she stares blankly into her computer.

She looks up when she hears soft taps on the closed door. Maggie’s head peeps in. She looks equally sad and stressed up. “May I come in?” she asks uncertain.

Maggie has never seen Sydney in that state before. Sydney’s eyes are hooded and so sad as she nods softly giving permission for Maggie to enter.

 _Maggie,_ the very person that she misses that very moment. Her eyes suddenly become misty at the sight of this beautiful girl. But she quickly blinks her eyes to stop the tears. She fights the urge to run and wrap her arms around her.

Maggie closes the door, walks over to Sydney and leans on her side of the desks facing Sydney who is still seated.

“Figured I would find you here. I was looking for you everywhere in the wards.”

Sydney is still quiet. She closes her eyes and lean back in her chair.

“Are you ok?” Maggie tries.

“I have never seen you this sad and affected by any case before. This really bothers you a lot doesn’t it?” Maggie adds.

“Please forgive me Maggie. I am feeling helpless. And I am also so raw in the matter of relationship that I don’t know how to behave. I am such a jealous mess.” Sydney replies as she opens her eyes to drink in the sight of Maggie.

Maggie puzzles.

“ _Syd_ , what are you talking about? What is there to forgive? You are behaving just fine. You make me happy, I feel complete whenever we are together” Maggie assures her, still feeling a bit confused.

“Plus, it has been 24 hours since I had my last dose. I’m kind of low on my _DDML_ level right now.” Sydney huffs and smiles shyly. She covers her face with her hands and rubs her face.

Maggie blinks. She is deeper in the puzzle maze.

“ _DDML_? Is that a new medical abbreviation that I don’t know? I am pretty sure I’ve covered most of the medical terms by now,” she adds twitching her nose.

Sydney smiles at her with tender eyes and says “ _That_ is my secret code for _Daily Dosage of Maggie Lin_ ”. Then she looks away feeling shy.

Maggie chuckles and makes her most adorable smiling pout that only she can do and says “Oh you _adorable_ _lovable_ thing. Why didn’t you tell me? I would have come running whenever you need me. Do you know that I could kiss you the whole day if you will let me?”

Its Sydney’s turn to chuckle and grin widely. Shrugging her shoulders she says, “All of us were busy. Our patients must be our priority.”

Maggie admires Sydney’s passion and commitment when it comes to work, but none the less she says “My affections for you are not on S _i Opus Sit_ only prescription. You have access to me for daily dosage or even hourly dosage if you wish.”

“I know _I_ cannot go on a day without being near you, touching you or even hearing your voice” Maggie declares which melts Sydney’s heart.

Sydney can’t help but to pull Maggie into her space pinning her between herself and her desk. She drops her head on Maggie’s chest and wraps her arms tightly around Maggie’s hips. As Sydney nuzzles deeper into Maggie’s chest, both of them breathe shakily. They have never actually venture near each other’s chest and hips or anywhere below the neck and throat before. This is new territory for them.

Maggie enjoys the feeling and lets out a delicious moan as she cradles Sydney’s head and kisses it.

“Hmmm, you said you are a jealous mess earlier. What did you mean?” Maggie whispers into Sydney’s hair.

“Oh..it was nothing really,” Sydney lies between deep exhales and inhales.

“ _Please_ …tell me” Maggie pleads softly.

Sydney exhales a long breath and says, “I saw how your ex stood so close to you as if he wants to touch you or feel you. I can’t help it but this jealousy creeps in."

“Oh…! I’m _sooo_ sorry. I didn’t realise he was standing so close to me. All I could think about was that my mind and my heart were on you all the time.” Maggie assures her quickly.

To prove her words, Maggie cups Sydney’s face in both hands and showers her with butterfly kisses everywhere she can and says “ _I am…sooo…sorrry…I.. made ..you..feel ..the..way ..you.. felt..”_ in between kisses.

Sydney can’t help but to giggle at every kisses.

“Forgive me?” Sydney asks pleadingly.

“There is nothing to forgive, sweetheart,” Maggie replies softly. “You haven’t done anything wrong,” she adds.

“If it makes you feel better, I too have a confession about jealousy,” Maggie says sheepishly.

“Ohhh?” Sydney smirks. “ _Do tell_ ,” she adds with her signature throaty laugh.

“I am jealous of the pretty and slender female nurse at the nurses’ station. She flirted with you in front of _me_ ,” Maggie lets out a huff.

“Which one? ” Sydney asks.

“Ohh…there are _more_ than one who flirts with you?” Maggie’s eyes widen.

“ _No silly_ …I don’t even realise who flirts with me,” Sydney laughs.

Maggie pouts and playfully pokes Sydney’s right ribs.

“Nurse Nora _, remember_?” Maggie asks.

Sydney tries to recall and smirks, “I am sure it is purely _work_ related, sweetheart.” It’s Sydney’s turn to use the endearment which put a wide smile on Maggie's face. They both giggle.

“I was thinking about the unborn baby’s fate too. I was so touched and in awe at your compassion. It makes me realise that’s what makes you the great doctor that you are.” Maggie says.

“Compassion alone is not enough, the baby’s father still won’t change his decision,” Sydney says sadly in return.

“About that, I have good news.” Maggie says with a grin on her face.

Placing her hands on both of Sydney’s shoulders, she adds “I had a long talk with the husband and listened to his fears and concerns. It seemed that he was so overwhelmed and devastated about losing his wife that he blamed the baby. He failed to see that his wife lives on in his baby.”

Sydney listens adoringly at Maggie that her heart swells. She nods a few times to show that she is listening at her every word.

“I told the father about my miscarriage and how I was devastated when my baby was gone. That the baby was already living inside of me and that I have lost my very own flesh and blood.” Maggie says softly. All the time, Sydney holds her close and hears her heart beats as she talks.

“Are you ok?” Sydney asks looking up into Maggie’s eyes with concern.

“Yeahh. That’s why I can tell the husband about my story without breaking down.” Maggie answers.

“I take it the husband changes his mind about terminating the life support?” Sydney asks in anticipation.

“Yes, he did,” Maggie replies with a smile, this time small tears appear at the corner of her eyes.

“I am glad and grateful to you. The baby owes her life to you, sweetheart.” Sydney feels so relieved that she pulls Maggie down to her already parted lips and they share long overdue doses of kisses passionately.

When they part for a breather, “I forgot how famished I am,” says Maggie.

“Me too,” Sydney replies and smiles.

“Shall we grab something to eat?” Maggie asks.

“In a while, I feel I am still low on my doses,” Sydney smiles and won’t let Maggie go just yet.

Maggie raises her left eyebrow and smirks knowingly. “Then I shall oblige, Dr. Katz,” she answers while she pulls Sydney up to herself and showers Sydney with all the love she is feeling overflowing inside of her.


	10. Exam Blues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Final preparation for Maggie’s board exam

“I am _sooo_ tired and hungry. Can we stop for a while to grab a bite?” begs Maggie with her cute pout while rubbing her tired eyes with her hands.

Sydney has been tutoring Maggie in her office for hours in between their shifts that day to prepare her for the board exam the next morning.

It is almost midnight. Sydney knows Maggie is so tired but she wants to make sure Maggie is well prepared. She does not want her most precious student to flunk her exam. This exam will determine Maggie’s advancement in her career as a trained OBGYN.

There is nothing Sydney wouldn’t do to make sure Maggie passes with flying colours.

“OK, I guess we can stop here. You need a good sleep to face your big day tomorrow.” Sydney answers. She too is feeling tired and famish. They have emptied three cups of coffee and downed 3 sandwiches each for the last four hours.

“Come on, I’ll send you home. We can grab something at the cafeteria on the way out,” Sydney adds.

“Thanks,” Maggie replies and hides a big yawn with the back of her hand.

As they pack up and re-arrange Sydney’s books back onto the shelf, Maggie’s eyes widen and her jaw drops as she catches _Dr. Sydney Katz’s_ name on one very prominent looking book as one of the _co-authors_.

“ _Dr. Katz!_ I never knew you have written a book before!” she exclaims with a tone of pride for her mentor _and_ sweetheart.

“ _Co-written,_ ” Sydney corrects Maggie and smiles.

“ _None the less..!”_ Maggie says and smiles, still feeling amazed. Sydney smiles and shakes her head feeling amused at Maggie’s reaction.

The book entitles _‘Milestones Cares for Difficult Pregnancy_ ’ was Sydney’s first book which she co-written with two more prominent experts in OBGYN field two years ago.

“I came to know that _Dr. Mildred McClaren_ will be one of the board examiners tomorrow, Maggie,” Sydney says.

Maggie does not pay special attention to the name until she takes a closer look at the other co-authors names.

‘ _Dr. Mildred McClaren; Dr. Gethrude Obidayah’._

Maggie freezes where she stands. The best of the bests will be questioning her and her fellow doctors tomorrow, she thought nervously.  

“What is she like?” Maggie asks Sydney.

“She is amiable, brilliant, very professional, knows her trade like the back of her hands, and she definitely will show her fangs without hesitation when she needs too,” Sydney says.

That makes Maggie turns pale. Realising this Sydney can’t help but smiles at Maggie.

“Don’t worry. You’ll be fine. As long as you remember to give detail answers and in the correct manner as I always remind you.” Sydney offers her some comforting tips.

“ _Urghhh_ ….I just hope I won’t panic!” Maggie says in return still looks worried.

“We have covered almost all the topics, Maggie. I have faith in you. You can do this.” Sydney walks closer to Maggie and rubs her arms to soothe her.

“ _And_ by the end of tomorrow, we will have _the real_ Dr. Maggie Lin in the house.” Sydney winks as she cheers Maggie on.  

Maggie smiles and bites her lower lip. She moves slowly to close the gap between them and says “ _so_ …you are hitting me back on the _real doctor_ thing huh?” Her soft voice and eyes flirt sexily with Sydney while she says this.

That makes Sydney swallows hard involuntarily. Her fluttered eyes and accelerated breathing give her away.

Taking in Sydney’s body language, Maggie’s arms slowly wrap Sydney’s waist like a vine and pull her in tightly to herself.

“May I top up my _ration_ for the day, Dr Katz?” Maggie asks softly. She looks into the depth of Sydney’s eyes and mesmerized by them.

Sydney does not say a thing but answers with a gentle ever so slow blink. Her hands slowly move up along Maggie’s arm, up her shoulders and rest at the back of her neck. Her fingers stroke Maggie’s scalp so gently it sends tingling signals along Maggie’s spine.

“ _Hmmm_ …that feels _so good_. You give good massage Dr Katz.” Maggie’s voice trembles as she closes her eyes feeling drown in Sydney’s sweet caress.

A blink before Maggie opens her eyes, she is surprised by Sydney’s hot mouth on hers sucking and licking her lips with hungry kisses. Instantly she kisses back and meets Sydney’s demand with her own as desire and longing takes over them.

When they break away some five minutes later, Sydney’s hands cup Maggie’s face at both sides while Maggie’s hands support Sydney who is leaning her forehead on Maggie’s lips.

Still feeling aroused, Maggie’s hands move slowly down to Sydney’s hips and stay there. When she rubs a little pressure, Sydney’s head shoots up and her eyes search for Maggie’s to see her expression.

What she sees is an ocean of raging arousal. Maggie’s dark brown eyes look back at her with thousands of emotions.

“ _I want to know what love is with you, I want you to show me_.” Maggie whispers a song over Sydney’s soft lip. Her hands still rubbing some pressure on Sydney’s hips adding magic to the moment.

“ _Maagggie..”_ Sydney says, her voice almost inaudible. She swallows very hard. She could feel her whole body warms up suddenly. She doesn’t stop to think but wraps Maggie closer to herself by the shoulders to feel her, to share her emotion.

“ _I want to feel what love is with you, I know you can show me_.” Maggie adds, her voice turns husky now. This time she presses her lips on Sydney’s who welcomes her as she opens up for Maggie.

Maggie presses Sydney’s hips deeper into her curve, rubbing them together as she feels her needs takes over her head.

Sydney too feels so aroused and moans into Maggie’s mouth. “ _Ohh…this feeling,”_ she thinks.

Then her logical brain takes over and slowly forces her to come back to reality.

“Magggie.. we’ve …we have to..hmmm..stop now” Sydney whispers into Maggie’s mouth in between kisses.

With clear reluctance Maggie lifts her head up with her eyes still close. She nods a few times.

“We will get there _baby_ , but not now.” Sydney says fighting her own arousal.

“You have exam to go to tomorrow, remember?” Sydney adds with a trembling smile.

Maggie’s heart races so hard that she can’t say anything yet but nods several times instead.

“I must send you home now so you can rest well for the night, ok?” Sydney says softly as she moves her hands down to lace Maggie’s hands.

“Ok”, Maggie answers giving Sydney’s hands a squeeze.

“Will I see you tomorrow?” she asks Sydney.

“Mmm, actually no.” Sydney’s reply surprises Maggie.

“Why not?” Maggie asks.

“I will be attending a medical conference at The Ritz for the whole day of tomorrow. I will be presenting a paper. And at night I will be attending a dinner at the same place in conjunction with that conference.” Sydney explains.

“Oh” Maggie can’t hide her disappointment.

“I will call you in between the sessions. Text me to tell about your exam, will you?” Sydney says.

Maggie purses her lips and nods. She tries to hide her eyes from Sydney by moving away and pretends to pack her back pack.

But Sydney can read the girl’s body language.

“Hey, come here,” Sydney calls her softly.

Maggie looks at her and moves closer. Sydney opens her arms and hugs Maggie warmly. They breathe each other in deeply to make up for tomorrow without each other’s presence.

“I’ll miss you,” Sydney whispers into Maggie’s ears.

“I’ll miss you more,” Maggie replies with her adorable pout on her mouth. “In fact, I miss you already,” she adds and snuggles into Sydney’s neck.

That makes Sydney giggles softly. She feels so blissful.

“Shall we go?” Sydney asks.

Maggie nods quickly a few times and kisses Sydney’s mouth deeply one last time before they leave Sydney’s office.

They could feel their hearts are so intertwined that it hurt so bad to be apart.


	11. Interlude (Exam and Conference Morning)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Don’t everyone acts like teenagers when they are in love?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> serving the teaser

“ _Do you know what my latest obsession is_?” Sydney sends a text to Maggie while waiting for the conference to start. She hasn’t heard from Maggie that morning and she misses her. She is such a romantic at heart and she knows Maggie is responsible for that.

Maggie’s heart leaps when she sees the text is from Sydney. She is in a grab car on her way to the board exam hall together with some of her fellow doctors. One of them is an expectant mother who happens to be Maggie’s good friend.

“ _No, tell me_.” Maggie texts back while biting her lower lip.

“ _It’s hugging and kissing you_.” Sydney replies.

Maggie’s heart screams in excitement. But she bites her smile and tries very hard to contain the bubble in her.

“ _Yeah? Hey, we have the same obsession! We can be best friends!_ ” Maggie adds smooches and hearts emoticons to her text.

Sydney laughs softly at Maggie’s joke and shakes her head.

In reply she sends Maggie some heart emoticons in multiple colours and sizes; red, blue, pink, purple, big and small.

“W _ish you all the best. I miss you. See you soon_ ,” Sydney texts.

“ _Thanks, I miss you lotsss too_.” Maggie texts back with more smooches emoticons added.

Sydney’s heart swells and she doesn’t realise that she is grinning to herself when she reads Maggie’s text at the other end.

She can’t help it but hums the song she heard in the car on her way to the conference that morning.

‘ _You’re in my heart_

_You’re in my soul_

_You’d be my breath should I grow old_

_You are my lover_

_You’re my best friend_

_You’re in my soul’_

…………..


	12. Saving the Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maggie does her stunt and Sydney pulls some strings, all in the name of love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story was never intended to be a heavy epic and tortured love affair from the beginning. Just cruising the fluffy feelings of two persons who loves one another when the muses comes in every song I hear.  
> Hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them.

Minute 1: Sydney texts - _“Maggie, where are you?_

Minute 2: Sydney texts – _“How did it go?_

Minute 3: Sydney texts – _“It should be over by now right?”_

Sydney sends multiple texts to Maggie when she can’t stand the anticipation anymore. It is noon time and the conference has adjourned for lunch break. Sydney feels Maggie is taking too long to reply her messages and she is uncomfortable with the uneasiness she is feeling in her gut right now.

Just when she feels she can’t take it anymore, Maggie replies her.

_“Yes, the exam is over. Back at the hospital now.”_

_“So how did it go?”_ Sydney texts back.

She waits for one minute for Maggie to reply. But when Maggie doesn’t reply her, she quickly dials Maggie’s number to talk to her instead. She misses Maggie’s voice and she uses the exam as an excuse to call the girl.

“Hey,” Maggie answers her call. She doesn’t sound her usual cheerful self but Sydney still feels relieved when she hears her voice.            

“Maggie, are you busy right now? Can you talk?” Sydney asks.

“Yeah, I can talk,” Maggie replies weakly and Sydney can sense something is off.

“You okay?” Sydney asks softly.

“Yeah, I am fine, just a little tired. That’s all.” She replies.

“Maggie, I can hear you. What’s wrong?” Sydney is persistent.

“Ermm, nothing’s wrong. I just didn’t complete the exam that’s all.” Maggie says.

“What?” “Why?” “What happen?” Sydney asks continuously.

Maggie is quiet for a while and reluctant to tell. But she doesn’t want to lie to Sydney.

She hesitates and then tells Sydney that she didn’t go to the last examiner’s room to answer her final exam question because she wanted to help her pregnant fellow doctor who is a good friend of hers to deliver her baby.

She was in labour during the exam. Her water broke mid-exam and she was having contraction every half an hour. She finished her exam but Maggie did not unfortunately because her turn was a few lines at the back.

Maggie says she had to follow them in the ambulance to the hospital because the baby was already crowning. Maggie delivered the baby in the ambulance to the mother’s and Maggie’s delight.

Her friend had apologised that Maggie had to miss her final question but Maggie told her that she was glad to be able to help and that she can take the exam again the year after.

Her only concern is that she has let Sydney down.

“I see,” is all that Sydney says.

Sydney feels disappointed but she knows Maggie had followed her doctor instinct back there and she is glad with Maggie’s decision.

She only wishes that there is something that she could do for Maggie.

Then Sydney says abruptly in her serious tone, “Maggie, I got to go. Talk to you soon.”

That makes Maggie feels abandoned on the other line of the telephone. “ _Ohh no._..she is angry with me,” laments Maggie sadly to herself.

Maggie shudders and wipes small well of tears in her eyes. Suddenly she feels so distant and alone.

Her mind is drifting away to find the images of Sydney anywhere she could when the ringing sound of her phone brings her back to the present moment fifteen minutes later.

“Syd!” she exclaims before she answers the phone.

“ _Pleassse_ …don’t be mad at me,” Maggie pleads before Sydney could say anything.

“Maggie, I am not mad at you or at anyone else.” Sydney assures her.

“Listen to me, come to The Ritz this evening and join me for dinner. Don’t ask any question; just be here at six pm sharp. And wear something nice for the evening.” Sydney gives her instructions.

She further asks Maggie to delegate her duties to the on call residents and to tell them that she has to meet their boss at the conference dinner. That will make it easier for Maggie to leave the hospital in such a short notice.

…………..

Maggie arrives at the hotel in a grab car just ten minutes before six o’clock that evening.

From the main entrance Maggie could see Sydney is already waiting at the lobby, sitting alone on a single luxury sofa, looking so gorgeously feminine and beautiful.

“Such breath taking sight,” Maggie’s mind talks while she inhales. There is a tug in her heart at the sight of this version of Sydney.

“She could be a beauty queen,” Maggie muses and smiles to herself. She has never seen Sydney dress and look this beautiful before. Their time together was mainly in scrubs, casual clothing and lab coats, without heavy makeups.

Sydney is wearing a soft loose cream coloured _kaftan_ with long sleeves and high neck. A matching belt around her waist shows how slim Sydney is. Her loose red hair drapes gloriously on her shoulders adds wonder to her beauty.

Sydney has been looking at her phone every second for the past fifteen minutes before Maggie’s arrival in case she calls or texts her. She has waited earlier for Maggie in case she arrives early.

Sydney looks around and watches the main entrance. She does not want to miss Maggie. But there is no sign of Maggie yet. “It is still early,” she tells herself.

There is but one very pretty lady who just walked in gracefully in a short sleeves knee length black dress that fits her body nicely to show her curves with her hair done fit for a princess.

“It’s not Maggie,” Sydney decides and turns her head away.

To Sydney’s alarm, the pretty lady is walking straight towards her. Sydney fidgets uncomfortably in her seat. She does not blink a bit as she tries hard to remember where she has seen the lady before. “She does look kind of familiar,” Sydney thinks.

The lady smiles sweetly at her now but Sydney is still seated, dazzled by the sight before her.

When she lifts her left eyebrow and does her adorable pout at Sydney, finally Sydney calls her name “Maggieee!”

“You look so…different, for a moment there I didn’t recognise you!” Sydney says as Maggie walks slowly closer to her.

“ _Different_?” Maggie asks tilting her head.

Sydney is now standing, facing Maggie and trying to find the right word to say.

“ _Beautiful_ can’t quite describe you sufficiently right now. Let’s just say that you _take my breath away_.” Sydney says softly. Her eyes twinkle as she says this.

“ _Ohh_ …I would do _anything_ to take your breath away right now,” Maggie whispers, her eyes meeting Sydney’s as she inhales deeply to control her nerves.

Sydney looks longingly at her and bites her lower lip as she feels shy suddenly. Her cheeks blush deeply she has to turn away.

“You mesmerize me from the moment I saw you from the entrance. Do you know how _beautiful_ you are right now?” Maggie says as her eyes take in Sydney’s beauty in front of her.

“I am fighting the urge to hold and kiss you right now,” Maggie adds.

“Maggie, stop teasing me please,” Sydney replies as she smiles and shakes her head.

“I am not. I am serious. In fact I am feeling a bit jealous right now,” Maggie says and looks at the floor.

“Jealous? Why?” Sydney asks in surprise.

“Well, other people might fall in love with you, sweep you of your feet tonight and I will be left alone and heart broken,” Maggie says.

“That won’t happen,” Sydney reaches for Maggie’s hand and give it a squeeze.

“I am the one who should be worried. With your look tonight some men or women in there might try to _sway_ you far away from me,” Sydney teases Maggie back.

“They might, but I have my eyes and heart only on you.” Maggie winks and squeezes Sydney’s hand this time.

They both chuckle at the same time when deep inside they are dying to embrace one another but alas they are in public view.

“I wish we are in private space right now,” Maggie says softly that only Sydney could hear her.

“Mhhmm, me too,” Sydney whispers back.

“Come, there are a number of important people that you will meet, but first I would like you to meet one very significant person,” Sydney says while she leads Maggie by the arm into a ballroom with a very grand setting.

There are about fifty men and women of all shades and complexion in the room.

“Who are these people?” Maggie asks.

“They are doctors with various expertise from all over the world. Today’s conference was about a rare disease that affected foetuses since first conception. We came together today to try to find solutions and preventive measures.” Sydney explains.

Maggie notices they are walking towards a very elegant woman in her early forties who is talking to a group of men and women.

“Mildred,” Sydney calls her.

The other woman turns to face them and smiles.

“Sydney!” she exclaims. “There you are. How are you?” She gives Sydney a warm hug and kisses Sydney on both cheeks.

Sydney reciprocates her gestures while Maggie looks at them with interest.

“Maggie, I would like you to meet Dr. Mildred McClaren. Mildred, this is Dr. Maggie Lin, my resident.” Sydney introduces them both.

Both of them shake hands and greet one another.

Maggie is so star struck that she can’t find anything to say to the star OBGYN. Somehow she manages to give a wide smile to the doctor.

“ _Ahh_ …Dr.Lin. I heard you didn’t make it to my exam room this morning. What a pity.” She says genuinely.

“Your fellow doctor was in active labour and about to give birth at the hall I heard, is that correct?” she asks.

“Yes.” Maggie answers and nods at the same time.

“I am sorry I missed your question but she is a good friend and the baby was almost crowning when the mother completed her final answer for the exam. I would do it for anyone else who is in that condition too, good friend or not.” Maggie adds. Her eyes shine brightly as she says that.

“I see.” Dr. McClaren says and then adds “I am interested to know exactly what happen, Dr. Lin. Could you walk me through what you did?”

The three of them are standing facing each other in a triangle position now holding their drinks that the waiter has offered them.

Maggie relives the event and narrates enthusiastically in detail and in the manner that she executed that morning in the ambulance.

She doesn’t think anything of it except that she is sharing her wildest experience with the senior doctors.

Sydney watches adoringly and with clear pride as she listens to Maggie’s narratives. She doesn’t say a word since she introduces the two. Instead she let Dr. McClaren do the talking.

When Maggie is done talking, both senior doctors look at each other and smile.

Maggie looks puzzled and feels she is missing something.

“Did I miss anything?” she asks looking at Sydney and then at Dr. McClaren.

“No, you didn’t miss anything, you did everything perfectly,” Dr. McClaren says with serious note but a smile in her eyes.

“That was your final question and you passed. Congratulations, Dr. Lin!” Dr. McClaren announces to Maggie and then smiling at Sydney who is already beaming at Maggie.

“You mean, you were testing me without me knowing?” Maggie still can’t believe what she just heard. She is so moved and at the brink of tears.

“I had to make you come here so that Dr. McClaren can test you here, Maggie.” Sydney explains. She is all smiles.

“I didn’t tell you before because I didn’t want you to be nervous,” she adds.

“ _Thank you…thank you..”_ Maggie says to both of them in tears now. She is so overwhelmed by the turn of event.

“You are welcome, dear,” says Dr. McClaren, smiling tenderly at Maggie.

“You should thank Sydney too; she called me up this afternoon asking if I could join this dinner and finishes the test for you here.” She exposes Sydney’s _covert_ operation.

“You are lucky to have her as your mentor and teacher,” she adds.

Maggie now looks adoringly at Sydney through her teary eyes and sniffs. Sydney offers her a napkin.

“Better wipe those tears, we don’t want those make ups to melt away before the dinner even starts, do we now? Sydney teases her.

“Thank you, Dr. Katz, for _everything,_ ” Maggie breaths the words out as she takes the napkin from her and intentionally brushes her fingers with Sydney’s. As they look at each other their eyes hold secrets only known to them.

“Well now, shall we find our table? The dinner is about to start,” Sydney says to both her guests as she leads them to their table.

They could feel that the night is going to be a great night to remember.


	13. Watching Her Watching Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sparkling wine, fine music open doors to possibilities

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you will enjoy this one.

After dinner they mingle around with the other guests. Talking, laughing and at some point they engage in serious discussions and exchanges of ideas.

Maggie does not know anyone in the room except Sydney. Dr. McClaren has excused herself right after dinner so that she can turn in early that night. She has a plane to catch early the next morning.

Sydney and Maggie said their thanks and appreciation to her and they promised to stay in touch.

Maggie finds that Sydney is a wonderful company. She introduces Maggie to her counterparts and engages her in their conversations with the other doctors. Her fluency and brilliance amazes Maggie that she has to check herself every time if she is staring too much at Sydney when she talks, smiles or even jokes.

The other doctors are clearly impressed by Sydney judging from the genuine attention they give her when she talks to them.

Sydney’s age difference compares to the other older doctors does not seems to bother them. Her brain and passion matter the most to them.

As Maggie tags along closely to Sydney, she fights the urge to touch and to hold her. But she is not doing a very good job at that. There are times when she purposely stands very _very_ close to Sydney so that she would ‘accidently’ brush her arm, her hand, her shoulder. She even looks over Sydney’s head or shoulder just to breathe her in.

Perhaps the sparkling wine and the fine music are playing tricks on her senses. She is really in a dire need to smack her lips on Sydney’s luxurious pinkies ones at that very moment.

Maggie wonders if it is only her who is under that torturous feeling. Being so close to Sydney but not being able to touch her as she wants is too hard.

What she doesn’t realise is that Sydney too feels exactly the same.

When they were seated together at the dinner table, Sydney finds her hand purposely brushes Maggie’s hand on the table. Her leg would ‘accidently’ brushes Maggie’s leg under the table; hidden from other eyes.

She would turn to Maggie and lean very close to say something to her on some small talks; all because she wanted to be in constant physical contact with the girl.

When they mingle around she makes it a point to introduce Maggie to the others. She is very proud of Maggie. She is beautiful, elegant and smart. To know that the girl is with her tonight swells her heart to the brink of burst. She feels the warmth on her cheeks never leaves her tonight because of this feeling.

When a very beautiful soothing romantic song plays in the air, Sydney pauses in her thought.

_‘There was a time_

_I was everything and nothing all in one_

_When you found me_

_I was feeling like a cloud across the sun I need to tell you_

_How you light up every second of the day_

_But in the moonlight_

_You just shine like a beacon on the bay_

_And I can't explain_

_But it's something about the way you look tonight_

_Takes my breath away_

_It's that feeling I get about you, deep inside_

_And I can't describe_

_But it's something about the way you look tonight_

_Takes my breath away_

_The way you look tonight_

_With a smile_

_You pull the deepest secrets from my heart_

_In all honesty_

_I'm speechless and I don't know where to start’_

 

Sydney feels that the song is expressing perfectly all her feelings and thought she is having for Maggie this very night.

She slowly turns to look at Maggie and is surprise that Maggie is already looking at her at that very moment.

The moment just freezes for them as they swim in each other’s eyes deeply, their breathing turns uneven and their lips parted.

They have to hold their own glasses tightly or they will find themselves reaching for the other to embrace.

Then, their thoughts flash away from them when a deep male voice speaks to them.

“Young lady, will you treat an old man to a dance on the dance floor?” The doctor in his fifties asks Maggie.

“The song is too fine to be wasted. I can’t resist asking a pretty lady such as you for a dance.” Dr. Mark Matthews, who sat with them at the dinner table earlier on smiles handsomely at Maggie.

Maggie looks up at him in surprise and feels amused at the way he asked her for a dance. He is quite a good looking tall man, taller than Maggie by a few inches.

Maggie then turns to look at Sydney by her side. The amusements still in her eyes as their eyes meet.

Sydney smiles at Maggie. She raises her eyebrows and shoulders at the same time signalling to Maggie that it is up to Maggie to decide.

Maggie takes the doctor’s hand and let him lead her to the dance floor. He does not pull Maggie too close to him; rather he just holds Maggie’s hand in his and his right hand rests on Maggie’s waist.

Sydney feels a sudden loneliness in her heart but she doesn’t show it. She watches them instead and enjoys the music.

Maggie finds her eyes searching for Sydney’s form from the dance floor and is glad that Sydney is watching her too.

They exchange smiles and blink the blinks that only they know what it means. It is like their secret code of the sort.

“You really like her don’t you?” a female doctor’s voice comes from behind Sydney.

Sydney startles and turns around. It’s Dr. Lena Shebb, another doctor that sat with them at the dinner table earlier on.

“What do you mean?” Sydney tries to hide her feelings.

“It’s the way you two look at each other,” she answers. “I can feel your sizzling chemistry.”

Sydney looks at her in horror. “How can I be so _reckless_ ,” she chastised herself in her mind.

“Don’t worry Sydney, I am like you,” she says suddenly as she tries to ease Sydney’s tension when she realizes that Sydney may not want anyone to know.

“That’s how I can sense it,” she adds.

“As a matter of fact, I was attracted to you the whole day today. That’s why I chose to seat at your table,” she says.

Sydney is even puzzled and that shows in her eyes as she stares at the doctor nervously.

“But when you brought Dr. Lin along and the way you two communicate with each other the whole night, I guess I haven’t got a chance.” Lena says further still looking softly at Sydney’s face.

“ _Lena_ …” Sydney’s voice trails off. Her eyes are soft on the other doctor now though she still feels nervous.

Sydney has only known Lena today from the conference. She is in her late thirties, a single lady, a Jewish and an OBGYN expert herself.

When Sydney remains silent, Lena reaches for one of Sydney’s hands and smile. Sydney feels alarmed but Lena simply squeezes to Sydney’s surprise.

Sydney doesn’t say anything but just stares at the other doctor. Then when she comes to her senses, she returns Lena’s smile and squeezes back.

“I am sorry Lena,” Sydney says. “But thank you. I take it as a compliment,” she adds as she slowly pulls back her hand.

“Please, I would appreciate it very much if you would keep this to yourself.” Sydney says almost pleadingly to which Lena simply nods and smiles.

They are still smiling at each other right about the same time Maggie turns her face to look at Sydney.

The smile on Maggie’s face slowly disappears but she keeps her composure.

She keeps dancing but her mind is not in the dance anymore. She don’t even realise it when a young rather handsome doctor steps in and asks from Dr. Matthews for a turn to dance with Maggie.

Maggie just takes his hands and let the doctor pulls her closer as the music changes to a slower tune. Her head keeps turning to Sydney’s direction trying to catch what is going on.

“I didn’t see you in the conference today,” the young doctor’s voice startles Maggie. Only then she realises her dance partner is no more the older doctor.

“Did fairy godmother just turn Dr. Matthews into a younger version of him?” Maggie asks quizzically almost to herself. Her expression is priceless; her eyes widen and her eyebrows rise as she pulls her face to looks clearly at the young doctor.

He laughs politely.

“You are not only pretty but funny too,” the doctor says and smiles as he tries to flirt with Maggie.

“Seems that something over there is really catching your mind that you didn’t realise I asked for a turn to dance with you from Dr. Matthews.” He grins showing his white perfect teeth as he tilts his head at Sydney’s direction. His face is clean shaved and he smells fresh like expensive cologne.

“I am Sam Phillips,” he introduces himself.

Lena is still standing beside Sydney when Sydney turns her face to look at Maggie.

Her heart gives a loud thud when she sees Dr. Sam Phillips, an eligible bachelor and a doctor in his own class is now dancing very close with Maggie. Sydney takes a gulp of her wine and swallows hard. Her eyes never leave Maggie.

Lena notices the effect on Sydney and says, “Relax Sydney, they are just dancing.”

Sydney lets a nervous smile out as she glances at Lena. “Yeah” is all she can say.

She tries to look somewhere else, but the corners of her eyes keep on looking back at Maggie. Dr. Phillips hands are both on Maggie’s waist now as Maggie’s hands rested on his upper arms.

 _“Ohh..I can’t look at this.”_ Sydney thinks as she feels more alarmed.

She turns away now, her back facing the dance floor.

As if her sixth sense tells her what is going on in Sydney’s heart, Maggie turns to look at Sydney and her heart drops when Sydney is no more watching her but facing the wall. Lena is still standing beside her looking on at the dance floor.

Maggie’s eyes meet Lena’s.

She has noticed earlier that the beautiful doctor, almost the same height as herself, has been passing glances at Sydney at the dinner table. Maggie didn’t think anything of it then but now maybe she should, she thinks to herself.

When the music ends, Dr. Philips offers to get Maggie a drink but she politely declines.

“I better get back to Dr. Katz, I am here with her tonight,” Maggie says and gives a small smile at him. Then she leaves him and walks over to where Sydney is standing, still facing the wall.

Sydney doesn’t realise the music has ended. Her mind and heart still debate inside her. Her mind tells her Maggie is just dancing, but her heart feels the jealousy and alarm start creeping in.

Then she feels a hand rested on her lower back. She looks up and sees Maggie standing close to her with her wide questioning eyes.

Sydney fights the urge to throw herself into Maggie’s arms as she feels tiny tears threaten to show up at the corners of her misty eyes now.

She swallows hard and Maggie nods knowingly as her thumb rubs Sydney’s back.

Lena looks at them and when she feels she may be intruding they privacy she leaves quietly.

“Can we go now?” Maggie asks Sydney softly.

Sydney nods and lets out a sniff. Maggie is so tempted to gather her in her arms and kiss Sydney’s tears away.

They say their good nights to the other guests and leave the ballroom together. Their hands brush ‘accidently’ as they walk out.

Outside the ballroom Maggie asks Sydney softly that only Sydney could hear, “Will I get to kiss you tonight? Will you send me home?”

Sydney turns to look at Maggie with tender eyes and answers even softer, “Actually I checked myself into a room here for the night in case the dinner ends very late. I needed a place to freshen up and change my cloth for the evening. Plus, I didn’t want to drive home and alone so late in the night.”

Maggie looks disappointed and looks down to the floor.

“But, I don’t want you to go home alone in a grab car at a late time like this either.” Sydney adds.

Maggie looks up and her expression changes. Her eyes look hopeful.

“So, either I check out tonight and we go home together _or_ the both of us can spend the night here tonight and we leave very early in the morning?” Sydney asks Maggie.

Sydney could swear there are twinkles in Maggie’s eyes as she considers her proposals.

And as the song goes, it’s something about the way they look tonight that takes the other's breath away.

 


	14. Can’t Get Close Enough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> That night the first time ever they ….

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is supposed to be my Valentine's gift for all Lintz out there. But I'm sorry I'm a bit late. Nonetheless, Happy Valentine's Day to all.
> 
> Also, Happy Lunar New Year to Dr. Maggie Lin and all Lintz who are celebrating across the world.
> 
> Thank you for your comments, I appreciate them very much!
> 
> I hope this one isn't too bad.

“Let’s go to your room and we’ll decide there,” Maggie suggests with a smile and her eyes shine with hope.

Sydney smiles sweetly and nods several times like she always does to emphasise whenever she agrees on something.

“This way,” Sydney says tilting her head towards the elevator.

Maggie purses her lips and blinks hard as she tries to contain the bubble in her heart. She is so tempted to scream “ _yes!..yes_!”, but she’s kind of shy to expose how excited she is about that prospect to Sydney.

Maggie walks very close to Sydney that when they enter the elevator their bodies brushed and that makes them sway clumsily. Maggie’s hands reach out quickly to balance both of them.

The slight commotion makes them chuckle at the same time. Clearly their proximity in the confinement of that elevator space makes them nervous as if they are going on their first date.

Sydney presses the level number while Maggie stands very close behind her. They are alone in the elevator and that gives them some privacy.

When Sydney feels Maggie’s warm breathe on her hair she looks up and their eyes meet through the reflection on the shiny wall.

Still standing so close behind Sydney, Maggie feels Sydney’s sweet scent pulls her in. She closes her eyes as she breathes Sydney in deeply. She can’t wait, she has to touch Sydney. She has been holding the whole night.

Sydney can feel goose bumps all over her body and her mind slowly floats.

Maggie nuzzles the back of her head as Sydney looks on at her through the reflection with half closed eyes. Sydney’s heart beats fast and her body warms up but she is feeling _so good_ inside. She closes her eyes and just lets the sweet moment takes over.

“ _Ohhh….I missed you so much,”_ Maggie whispers to her ear as she nuzzles Sydney’s hair, down her neck.

“ _Yeaaah_?” is all Sydney can say between heavy breathes as she lets Maggie does her magic.

“ _Mhmmm_ …” Maggie whispers again. This time her lips move slowly down along Sydney’s shoulder.

“ _I don’t want us to go tonight,”_ Maggie whispers when her lips find Sydney’s ear again.

That makes Sydney slowly turns around and looks at Maggie in the eyes. Her right hand reaches up to touch Maggie’s heavily blushed and warm cheek. Maggie plants kisses on Sydney’s soft fingers to show how much she means what she says.

Her gesture makes Sydney feels so cherished like never before. No one has ever made her feel the way she feels towards Maggie and it makes her eyes teary.

Something in Maggie’s eyes makes Sydney wants to lose herself in her arms and something in her tender voice makes her heart melts.

“ _Okay_ ,” Sydney says almost in a whisper as she tries to act calm but the tremble in her voice gives her away.

The elevator doors open and they step out together. Walking side by side along the empty hallway they hold hands until they reach Sydney’s room.

By then Sydney has lose her composure that her hands shake as she searches for her card key in her purse. Maggie notices that. So she touches Sydney at her lower back to calm her down, but it only make things worse. Sydney drops her purse.

As Sydney bends to pick her purse up while making some nervous apologetic sounds, Maggie finds her eyes roam, admiring the other doctor’s beautiful figure.

She wonders what a shirtless Sydney would feel like under her hands; what it would feel like to run her lips on her soft smooth skin. The thought makes her dizzy.

“ _Stop it!_ ” Maggie chastises her mind and she has to shake her head to stop her wild imaginations. She can’t believe she is doing that to Sydney behind her back, literally.

When Sydney finally opens the door she goes in first and lets Maggie close the door. Suddenly Sydney is feeling so nervous. It’s not the first time they are alone in a room but tonight feels different.

Her heart beats so hard that she needs to keep talking and move around to calm her nerves. She continues to tell Maggie where things are, showing her the luxurious bathroom, showing her the drinks bar and proceed to switch on the reading light at the side desk while placing her purse on its top.

Sydney keeps on talking about random matters nervously that she doesn’t realise Maggie is watching her every move.

When it dawns on her that Maggie has been silent the whole while since they enter the room she freezes at the desk, her face staring at the empty wall.

Sydney swallows hard involuntarily and her heart pumps vigorously as if it is about to explode. She feels dizzy. She has to inhale deeply a few times to bring some air back into her lungs and head.

When she has the courage to turn around slowly to face Maggie, she meets two dark longing eyes. Maggie is leaning against the door with her hands still on the door knob behind her.

The look on Maggie’s face is the same look she has last night in her office; only now it is even raw and begging.

Sydney feels her knees fail her that she has to lean onto the desk for support. Her eyes never leaving Maggie’s as Maggie now moves slowly towards her. She has taken off her shoes and is bare footed on the heavily carpeted floor.

Sydney can see Maggie too is breathing heavily and trying to control her uneven breathing.

The anticipation is too much that the short distance between them feels so vast apart. It feels like Maggie is taking forever to reach where Sydney is standing.

Maggie brings herself so very close to Sydney as if she pulls her in like a magnet.

When Maggie is finally mere inches away from her, she can smell sweet cocktail in her breathe. Their lower bellies are now flushed against one another. The peak of their breasts brush lightly.

Maggie’s right hand reaches for her hair and brushes the full length down so tenderly it makes Sydney trembles. Another hand reaches behind her ear and slowly stroke Sydney’s throbbing pulse point with her thumbs.

Sydney is still leaning against the desk when Maggie bends to kiss her lightly on her lips.

“ _You turned me on so hard,_ ” Maggie whispers against her lips. When Sydney gasps Maggie takes advantage of her parted lips and covers them with her hot moist mouth.

“ _I want you…I want to taste you….I want to feel you…I couldn’t get enough of you_.” Maggie says softly in between hot kisses.

Sydney is so intoxicated by Maggie’s words that she can only answers with moans and groans. Something wild inside of her awakens and she meets Maggie’s every passionate kisses with her own hunger.

“For a while I was feeling insecure back there,” Maggie says softly, her lips now kneading Sydney’s neck, her hands slowly rubbing Sydney’s sides up and down.

“ _You were_? I was feeling insecure myself,” Sydney answers hoarsely as Maggie’s lips knead up her throat.

“ _Yeahh_?” is all Maggie answers.

“ _Baby_ , I can’t bare this anymore. I am in _pain_. Please let me?” She whispers to Sydney’s ear.

“ _Maggie_..,” Sydney says softly when she pulls away to look at Maggie’s fully aroused face. Their breath mingles and so hot on each other’s faces. Still holding the other tightly, Sydney adds with soft tight voice, “ _I can’t love you like a man can_.”

Maggie is surprised by what Sydney just says. “You mean you can’t _make love_ to me like a man can?” Maggie replies raising her left eyebrow.

Sydney suddenly feels shy at Maggie’s mention of “ _love making_ ” and she looks away to the bed to hide her expression.

“ _The bed_ … _the big comfortable bed looks so inviting, the luxurious fluffy goose down pillows, soft white warm comforters, Maggie and me in bed together,_ ” Sydney’s mind escapes her.

Sydney’s mind still floats around when Maggie tilts her chin to make Sydney look into her eyes as she brings her face down so close that their noses touch.

“But you see, you _can_ make love to me like a _woman_ can,” Maggie drawls softly and covers Sydney’s lips with hers again. She can’t get enough of those full pink swollen sweet tasting lips. She is so aroused she could feel the dampness between her legs by now.

Sydney is so intoxicated by what Maggie says that she cups Maggie’s neck and enters Maggie’s mouth with her tongue; licking, sucking and tasting Maggie until she can’t hold her breath anymore.

Maggie moans into Sydney’s mouth as her arms enwrap her body like a vine until their bodies flush against each other.

Both bodies rub together when they feel being that close is not enough anymore. They can’t hold any longer as if their breasts and their every nerve are screaming for attention.

Nipples harden under their dresses needing more!

Maggie’s hands reaches behind to unzip Sydney’s _kaftan_ now. Sydney doesn’t care. She too does the same to Maggie’s dress.

Both glare and stare at the other’s exposed shoulders taking in their soft smooth pale skin with gasps.

When Sydney looks shock and halt at what she is doing, Maggie reaches for her hands and guide them to finish what she is doing. As Maggie’s dress drops on the floor, Sydney finds her eyes stares at Maggie’s beautiful, _beautiful_ figure.

She takes in Maggie’s sexy black matching bra and panties. She swallows involuntarily and her breathing stops momentarily when her eyes move down to the V shape between Maggie’s legs. She forgets neither to breathe nor to blink!

Maggie’s eyes never leave Sydney’s expression. She knows Sydney is a little scared and worried. She has to do something to soothe Sydney.

Sydney’s eyes suddenly widen and she gasps when Maggie unstraps her own bra!

Maggie’s breasts; “so perfect, so full, and looks so _delicious,”_ Sydney’s mind runs wild.

Slowly, Maggie takes Sydney’s hands and placed them on her breasts. She wants Sydney to be familiar with her parts before they go deeper. She wants Sydney to be really ready, she wants Sydney to feel good on her first time, and she wants Sydney to really feel how much she wants her.

Sydney inhales and exhales deeply as she feels her body shakes overwhelmed by the moment. She has touched women’s breasts before but this is different; this is Maggie’s breasts.

She moves her fingers gently around the areolas. And when her thumbs brush the nipples, Maggie arches her breasts forward; she moans and sucks in air in a sweet drawl. Maggie closes her eyes as the delicious sensation takes over her.

Sydney smiles when she sees the effect of her touches on Maggie. That encourages her to caress her breasts even more. She treats the breasts delicately in her hands and with precision focus as if she is doing one of her surgery.

Then, her mouth dives in for the left breast. Maggie is caught off guard that she lets out a loud gasp.

Sydney’s tongue strokes and sucks at the nipple in full mouth. Maggie tastes _so good_. She can feel her floodgate opens between her legs as she pays her fullest attention to both breasts in turns.

Maggie can only hold on to Sydney for balance as she lets Sydney tastes her as she wishes.

Soon, Maggie cups Sydney’s face to bring her up from her breasts though she would love Sydney to go on. Looking at Sydney’s eyes, Maggie asks permission with questioning eyes to undress Sydney in return.

Sydney takes a very deep breath and gives Maggie her _kitty kiss_ ; her _cat like_ slow blink that they always do when they say a _yes_ without any word.

“Please forgive me, I _really_ need us to be,” Maggie whispers.

“ _Mhmmm_ ,” Sydney answers and nods. She closes her eyes and bites her lower lips as she feels Maggie’s hands reach behind her and pull her zipper slowly all the way down her lower back.

Maggie’s experienced fingers feel so warm and so good on her soft inexperienced skin that she shudders. Maggie feels that. She nuzzles gently into Sydney’s neck to soothe her. Her warm lips kneads deliciously along her shoulder that Sydney does not realise it when Maggie’s hands gently pulls her kaftan down her arms and all the way down to the floor.

When she realise that she is almost naked in front of Maggie, Sydney automatically crosses her arms to cover her chest.

Maggie looks into Sydney’s eyes tenderly to tell her it is ok. “I will not hurt you,” she says.

“I will take it slow,” she adds softly to comfort Sydney. She knows this is all knew to Sydney though she too wants it as much as she does.

Sydney inclines her head and smiles shyly.

“I know,” she says, “I am just feeling shy,” she adds.

“Don’t be,” Maggie whispers. “This is just me, and you know me. I want to love you the best I could,” she adds.

“ _Okay_ ,” Sydney says hoarsely.

With that permission, Maggie reaches behind Sydney to unstrap her bra. But before that, “ _may I_ ” she asks for Sydney’s final approval.

‘ _Yeah_ ,” Sydney answers and that is all she needs.

Maggie’s hands unstrap Sydney’s bra. As she admires those full beautiful perfect breasts with wide eyes and smiles, she brings her nose and lips down to smell and knead the breast in turns.

Sydney hangs on her shoulders as she caresses those soft small _hills_ with her tongue licking and sucking like what Sydney did to hers. She knows Sydney feels good by her moans and vibrating body under her touches. Her hands rub up and down at Sydney’s hips and down her thighs.

She really enjoys making Sydney feel so good like that.

_“Baby,.. I am so aching inside,”_ Sydney whimpers.

Maggie brings her head up to look at Sydney’s eyes. She smiles at her knowingly.

She navigates them towards the big warm inviting bed and helps Sydney on the bed.

“ _Urmm_..it’s too bright,” Sydney says shyly.

“I’ll be right back,” Maggie says walking quickly towards the main light switch cladding only in her panties.

Sydney admires her beautiful girl with shy eyes.

When Maggie sees that Sydney is watching her, she smirks and says, “Now where were we?”

Sydney opens both arms to receive Maggie on top of her and they entangle in delicious tight embrace. Hot kisses, small bites showered everywhere as hunger and passion heightens upon them. Legs intertwined and hands rub everywhere they need to touch.

Sydney lets Maggie takes the lead and she lets Maggie touches her anywhere and in any way she wishes to. She is giving in wholly to her girl, _her very own girl_ , on their first night together. Her wildest dream has come true in Maggie.

Moans and groans float in the room and they don’t need to hold back anymore. They feel so good in each other’s arm. Sydney feels safe and at home in Maggie’s loving arms.

“ _Baby, may I_?” Maggie asks looking hopefully at Sydney, her hand rubs gently on Sydney’s private part through her panties.

Sydney just nods and sinks her head deep into the fluffy pillow as the sensation brings new found pleasure to her.

Maggie pulls down Sydney’s panties down her legs and places it at the side of the bed in a very gentle manner.

Sydney is amaze that Maggie seems to have so much self-control. But what she doesn’t know is that Maggie is trying so hard not to take Sydney too fast. She doesn’t want Sydney to feel that love making is a rough and painful affair. She wants it to be perfect for Sydney.

When Maggie sees the darker shades of V shape between Sydney’s legs, she inhales deeply.

“Is it ok?” Sydney can’t help but asks in a whisper when she sees Maggie’s reaction.

“ _Ohh_ , it is _more_ than ok, it is even more beautiful than I can imagine,” Maggie’s answer brings deep red shade to Sydney’s cheeks. Her whole body is long drowning in the sea of hot arousal.

“Do you know how to do this?” she asks Maggie again.

“ _Urmm_ , actually I did some research right after our very first kiss,” Maggie admits shyly.

“ _Did you now_?” Sydney teases her.

“ _Mhmmm_ , besides we are experts on women’s body, we can experiment and improvise,” Maggie teases back as she starts her exploration on her beautiful Sydney.

“You can _experiment_ all you want on me sweetheart,” Sydney answers in a purr like sound.

They both chuckle as they joke.

Lifting her body as she lie next to Sydney, Maggie’s lips and hands play beautiful music on every inch of Sydney’s body. Her most favourite parts are the breasts. She loves that feminine part of Sydney’s. Every time she pays attention to them, Sydney would response melodiously under her touches.

As Maggie’s mouth move downwards to her belly, she gasps and twitches from a mixture of ticklish and passion. When Maggie brushes her lips and nose over the fine hairs between her legs, she lets out a loud moan as increased pleasure washes over her.  

“ _Babbyyyy_ ….” is all Sydney could say.

Maggie moves to kiss the inside part of her thighs as her left hand reaches to softly stroke her breasts in turns. Sydney feels especially wonderful when Maggie’s thumb kneads her nipples in continuous circles.

As her lips explore Sydney’s lower parts, her hands continue somewhere else. Then she comes up to kiss Sydney’s abandon lips again as she pushes her left arm under Sydney’s head to pull her closer.

Sydney is still caught up in their deep kisses when she feels Maggie’s hand enters her all so damped ‘ _little sister’_.

“ _Uumppphhh_ ,” she moans into Maggie’s mouth, her legs twisting and hip arching. Maggie brings her right knee up over Sydney to hold her legs open while she ‘ _conducts_ ’ beautiful intoxicating melody inside of Sydney. Her own inner core aches with increasing arousal.

But she is careful not to hurt Sydney with her nails; she knows Sydney is still a virgin.

Maggie’s hand feels so wonderful in her that she almost explodes. She almost cries because it is so beautiful. She whimpers in Maggie’s arms as the pleasure washes over her like waves hitting the seashores.    

It doesn’t take long for Sydney to reach her climax as her body is well ready even before Maggie enters her. When Sydney comes, she comes hard in the rawest, the most delicious pleasure she has ever known.

Maggie hold her close and keeps kissing her as she waits for Sydney to relax in her arms. Oh how she feels like paradise in her arms like that.

Then sometimes later, Sydney raises herself up over Maggie. “ _Your turn baby_ ,” she says with a naughty look that is still so covered with arousal.

“Do your thing _Dr. Katz,”_ Maggie answers with a smile as she receives Sydney in her arms.

And they drink each other’s intoxicating _wine_ for a few hours that night before they give in to a few hours of sleep.

They are so reluctant to come out of bed early the next morning but they still need to go to work.

In Sydney’s car all the way to the hospital, Maggie keeps her hand on Sydney’s thigh as she stares at her new lover with admiration and love.

Sydney on the other hand feels so drunk in blissfulness that she can’t stop grinning all the way.

“Be my Valentine?” Maggie asks suddenly.

“Sorry?” Sydney asks back.

“Will you be my Valentine?” Maggie rewords her question.

“I’m Jewish,” Sydney answers jokingly.

And they both giggle.

“But, I’ll be your Valentine and all if you wish,” Sydney replies, winking at Maggie and smiles her sweetest smile for Maggie.


	15. Don’t You Cry Tonight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The blissful feeling of being with the one they have hoped for is so beautiful but sometimes the past can be a threat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Give me a whisper...give me a sigh...  
> Give me a kiss before you tell me goodbye  
> Don't you cry tonight...I still love you baby  
> (Bossa n Roses)
> 
> Thank you for the comments, the kudos and the hits. I appreciate them all very much. Thank you for reading.

Sydney is feeling exhausted as she walks down the hallway. She checks on the patients, stops by the nurses’ station to sign some reports and she drops in the wards of some critical case patients to make sure everything runs smoothly. 

Deep inside she is hoping to run into Maggie or at least catches a glimpse of her as she heads towards the cafeteria.  

Then she hears Maggie’s voice in a distance; her melodious voice sounds so sweet and soothing to Sydney’s ears. She sounds like she is talking and laughing with some other voices around the corner, but to Sydney’s ears only Maggie’s voice that matters. Sydney walks towards her voice, she can’t wait. She misses that voice. She misses the owner of the voice even more.  

Sydney has been in four long surgeries today since morning. Yesterday was not merciful either. Difficult cases crashed in as soon as Maggie and she reached the hospital from the hotel. They only managed to change to their scrubs, took some quick breakfast and they were off to separate floors.  

Maggie was dragged to help out in the ER for multiple accident case and Sydney went straight to the OB floor.  

They have not been in each other’s company since then. And now she misses Maggie so much. The only thing she wants to do is to be lost in the arms of her girl.  

Now that Maggie has passed her board exam, she will not be supervising Maggie anymore. Maggie will be reporting to the Chief of Surgeon and will be rotated to other departments; which means they will not be working together that much anymore.  

Sydney feels sad when she thinks of that prospect. But when she thinks back of their night at the hotel, she feels warm and blissful beyond words. The memories keep coming back to her mind and that adds to her longing.  

As she approaches the corner where Maggie’s voice comes from, she sees that Maggie looks so happy while she engages in the conversation. They all seem to be in a happy mood. That could be because all of them just passed their exams.  

Sydney decides she will not ruin their moments, so she turns the other way to the cafeteria. She got herself a bottle of fruit juice and some tuna sandwiches. Instead of going back to eat in her office, she decides to sit at one of the table at the corner of the cafeteria looking out at the park outside the hospital.  

She takes out her smartphone and scrolls her emails. She is a bit sad that Maggie doesn’t seem to miss her. The sandwiches taste a little bitter to swallow.  

Then she decides to text Maggie to tell her where she is right now. “ _Hi, I am at the cafeteria now, in case you want a bite_.” She bites her lips and sends the text.  

“That’s what being in a relationship is about right?” she ponders. “Tell the other what you are at, where you are and who you are with,..” she thinks further. She is just finding an excuse to grab a moment together with her girl.  

What she doesn’t know is that Maggie has been missing her so much but couldn’t get away from the piles of cases that came their way since yesterday.  

Just occasional texts exchanges of ‘ _I miss you_ ’, ‘ _thinking of you_ ’, _hearts_ and _kisses_ emoticons between the two of them helps to ease the longing.  

When Maggie sees Sydney’s text that she is at the cafeteria her heart leaps.  

“ _Ahhaa.._ Sydney is free right now and so am I. This is great.” She beams to herself. Her other colleagues look at her curiously but smile at her as she excuses herself. “I have a _consult_.” She says and leaves quickly.  

“ _On my way_ ,” she texts Sydney back. 

As Maggie reaches the cafeteria, she scans the area in search of Sydney. When she locates her, she does not go straight to her but she goes to the counter to get herself a packet of chocolate milk and banana muffin.  

While waiting for her order, she glances at Sydney who looks like she is in deep thoughts. Maggie’s mind visits their night together at the hotel. How she wish she could knead Sydney’s neck with her lips all the way down to her chest and _more_.  

As if sensing Maggie’s thought at that very moment, Sydney rubs her neck with her left hand on instinct.  

Maggie smiles when she sees what Sydney is doing. “Good sixth sense,” she thinks and chuckles quietly.  

What Maggie doesn’t know is that Sydney too is thinking how wonderful it felt when Maggie kneaded her neck down her breasts with her lips and tongue. She feels her nipples harden just by thinking about it. She has to shake her head to shake her wild thoughts away.  

“I hope you are dreaming about _me_ right now,” Maggie says softly as she slides into the seat next to Sydney.  

Sydney shoots up her head at Maggie’s voice. She blinks, trying to register what Maggie just said.  

“How did you…?” Sydney is about to ask how Maggie knows what she is thinking about, but she stops herself. She is all blushing right now.  

“As a matter of fact, I was thinking about you.” she says shyly instead.  

“ _Mhummm_..I like that.” Maggie teases in a whisper.  

Sydney laughs softly in her adorable throaty laugh which makes Maggie’s heart races that she has to inhale deeply. 

“How have you been?” Sydney asks. 

“Missing you… _sooo much_.” Maggie emphasise on the words. 

Sydney smiles shyly and looks into Maggie’s eyes and then her lips. It feels ages since they last kissed. 

“Me too….missing you _a lot_.” She breathes the words out. 

“What are you doing tonight?” Maggie asks. “My shift will be over in an hour,” she adds. 

“Mine too. How about dinner together?” Sydney suggests. 

“Do you want to come over? We could get a take-out and eat at my place.” Maggie says hopeful. 

“Okay,” Sydney answers and smiles widely.

 

……………….

 

“Come in, make yourself at home,” Maggie invites Sydney in as she opens the door to her one bedroom apartment. 

“Thank you. This is a nice place Maggie.” Sydney says as she scans the whole place. She places her bag on the couch and walks to the kitchen counter with their take-outs. 

“It’s a place to rest and sleep. I don’t spend so much time here, you know that.” Maggie answers. 

They set their plates together and Maggie takes out a bottle of red wine for them. She pours their glasses and she hands over a glass to Sydney. As she does that she bends down to kiss Sydney on the mouth. 

One hand takes the glass, while another cups Maggie’s neck; Sydney meets Maggie’s mouth softly. 

They linger for a moment before Maggie breaks the kiss to play some soothing songs on her player to add some romantic mood while they dine.

 

‘ _Talk to me softly….there is something in your mind_ ….

 _Give me a whisper…give me a sigh_ …’ the song plays softly in the room.

 

They sit closely together at the table so that they could squeeze hands, steal a kiss or two and brush their legs under the table. Occasionally they would feed each other. The night feels so perfect to Maggie. 

Sydney on the other hand has a nudging question at the back of her mind. She can’t help but to glance at Maggie’s king sized bed in the bedroom when she first came into the apartment. 

“Do you often receive guests here? Sydney braves herself to ask the question. 

“No, not that often. Just family and close friends.” Maggie answers offhand while she chews her food. 

“How long have you had this place?” Sydney asks further, her face looks down at her almost empty plate. 

Suddenly Maggie feels that the question is a tricky one. She looks at Sydney’s face to read her expression but Sydney avoids Maggie’s eyes. 

“I’ve had this place for some time now.” Maggie answers, pretending she didn’t catch anything. 

Sydney does not pursue the matter; instead she finishes her food and wine quietly, while Maggie holds her left hand tighter. All the while, Maggie observes her under hooded eyes as she tries to figure out what is going on in Sydney’s mind. 

“It’s late, I better get going,” Sydney says suddenly to Maggie’s surprise. 

“You are leaving?” Maggie asks in disbelief. 

“Yeah, it’s been a long shift for the both of us, we need to rest.” Sydney lies. Her heart clenches as she says that, because deep down there is nothing else she would rather do than to lie next to Maggie and to love her. _But not on Maggie’s king sized bed._  

“But, I just assume that you would sleep over.” Maggie says quietly. 

Sydney looks down and just shakes her head as she gets up. 

“Is there something wrong?” Maggie asks further. “You have been quiet ever since you asked about how long I’ve been having this place. Talk to me, _please_.” 

“ _No,_ nothing is wrong. Tonight has been great. I’m just not ready to sleep over that’s all. I don’t have any cloth to change into for the night and tomorrow. And I don’t have my toiletries with me too.” Sydney continues giving her excuses. 

“Don’t you miss me?” Maggie whispers as she closes the space between them. Her hands rest on Sydney’s hips. She bends down and nuzzles Sydney’s neck to knead her with her lips just as she thought about at the cafeteria. 

“I do miss you…I’ve missed you _so much_ it hurts.” Sydney admits shyly. 

“Stay, _please_?” Maggie pleads into Sydney’s ears. 

“I can’t,” Sydney says. 

“You can’t?” Maggie’s puzzled eyes are wide now. 

“I don’t know how I will sleep with you in your bed without thinking of you with your exes in it.” Sydney confesses at last with a sigh. 

Maggie stares at Sydney as she never thinks that her past will bother Sydney before. 

“I see. So that’s the problem.” Maggie says carefully. 

Sydney huffs and gives a nervous smile. “I’m sorry, but I can’t help it. I know it is in the past, but you know, jealousy creeps in.” 

Maggie does not wait for Sydney to explain herself further for she swiftly wraps her in her arms and kisses her deeply until she feels Sydney melts in her embrace and is kissing her back as hungry as she is. 

“What if I go over to your place then?” Maggie says hoarsely when they break the kiss, foreheads rested on the other, arms wrapping the other tightly as if they won’t let go. 

“If you wouldn’t mind that is.” Maggie adds quickly. She doesn’t want to push Sydney too much. 

“Of course I wouldn’t mind.” Sydney answers with a smile, her voice switches to cheerful tone. “But I have to warn you that my bed is not as big as yours.” 

“More reasons for us to snuggle closely throughout the night.” Maggie teases with a naughty wink that makes Sydney laughs. 

“That’s my girl.” Maggie smiles sweetly at Sydney and kisses her again. “Don’t put me in misery again, okay?” She says after that. 

“I am sorry, I’ll try not to.” Sydney answers. 

“You don’t need to say sorry, I understand how you feel. Just promise me that you will let me know if something bothers you. _Baby, I am all yours_.” Maggie says earnestly as she holds Sydney’s hands tightly in hers against her chest this time. 

“Okay.” Sydney says and blinks her eyes several times to stop the tears that threaten to slip out of the corners of her eyes out of happiness. 

And they seal their promises with deep passionate kisses.

 

Sometime later when they are more relaxed, Sydney volunteers to clear their dishes while Maggie packs her stuffs enough for the sleepover that night. On second wishful thought, she also packs to prepare for more sleepovers after that.

But for tonight, Maggie makes sure she packs her nicest nighties to impress her loving doctor of the night.

 

 


	16. Love So Sweetly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pillow talks, private emotions and everything that comes after......

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope this one is not too cheesy for you.

Sydney is rather quiet throughout the twenty minutes’ drive to her apartment. She keeps her eyes on the road, hands on the wheel but occasionally she gives quick glances and small smiles to Maggie when she talks to her. Something at the back of her mind is holding her back. Their conversation a while ago at Maggie’s apartment still lingers around.

The sudden reservation feels too awkward for Maggie. She tries to make small conversations with Sydney to break the silence in the car. So she relays to Sydney about some funny cases at the ER that day. In some other days Sydney would have laughed at her stories, but at that moment her mind seems distant.

When that does not work, Maggie places her left hand on Sydney’s thigh to let her feel her presence. Maggie refuses to let Sydney’s mind wander far from her.

But Sydney does feel her presence. Her mind is in fact occupied by the presence of her beautiful girl beside her and the fact that she is following her home. No one has ever follows her home before. Even her family has never been to her place.

She does hear when Maggie talks, she does listen to her ER stories and she most definitely feels Maggie’s fingers when she draws random patterns on her thigh. It gives Sydney the tingling down to her toes. But she pretends she is not affected by it.

Her pretence does not last long though. When Maggie subconsciously rakes Sydney’s thigh with her nails, Sydney jerks forward and quickly catches Maggie’s hand in hers and grips it firm to stop it from doing further _damage_.

“ _Maggie! I am driving.”_ Sydney says aloud in alarm at last.

“ _Finally_ I got your attention,” Maggie answers but then she apologises.

“ _Sorry_ , I was worry that your heart might wander too far from me,” Maggie says softly while looking at Sydney with googly eyes.

“How could it when my mind is occupied by everything about you?” Sydney sighs in a teasing tone.

“But you seems distant,” Maggie pouts further.

“I am sorry, I guess I am kind of nervous that you are coming over to my place,” Sydney explains half-truly.

“As a matter of fact, I’ve never receive any visitor before this,” Sydney adds.

“Are you sure it’s just that?” Maggie asks.

“Yeah,” Sydney answers short hoping Maggie would let it go.

“Okay,” Maggie says feeling unconvinced but she lets it go, for now.

“Here we are,” Sydney says as she slows down and brings the car to a halt at a reserved parking lot in front of a four storey apartment building.

Maggie gets out of the car almost the same time as Sydney and she takes a moment to admire the beautiful building and its surrounding.

As they walk side by side towards the entrance Maggie pulls Sydney closer by the waist to feel her warmth and to show her some affection. But when Sydney looks around them almost in alarm Maggie lets her go. It slips her mind that they are still in public view.

“Sorry,” Maggie says softly.

And Sydney just smiles at her as she shakes her head feeling amused.

Sydney’s apartment is on the second floor. Maggie lets Sydney leads the way and as she follows closely behind her, Maggie takes the moment to admire how Sydney walks, how her hips sways, how she tuck her hair behind her ear, how she smiles at a passer-by. They all seem to have magic on Maggie.

When Maggie sees Sydney touches the mezuzah before entering her apartment, she is not sure if she is allowed to do the same.

So she raises her eyebrows to Sydney and asks, “May I?”

And Sydney says, “You can if you want to.”

Maggie touches the wooden mezuzah just as Sydney did though she does not know what it means. Her gesture made Sydney smiles warmly at her.

In Sydney’s apartment, she shows Maggie around and where to find things. Sydney’s home is very cosy and neat though sparsely furnished. It smells fresh like aromatherapy from the candle burning.  

Sydney lets Maggie use the bathroom first while she makes hot tea for the two of them and leaves it at the kitchen counter to cool down.

Then she changes the bed sheets, pillows cases and blankets to fresh ones. She is grateful that she has a pair of those now that they come in handy.

Maggie comes out of the bathroom wearing a silky slim strapped white night gown that reaches just below her knees. It is so smooth and soft that it drapes on her body perfectly showing all her curves. Maggie bought herself the night gown a month ago after a wishful imagination of a passionate night with Sydney.

When Maggie enters the bedroom Sydney turns to look at her and she freezes at what she is doing. The effect shows obviously on Sydney as she scans Maggie from top to toes with accusing longing eyes and inhale deeply.

“You are _so beautiful_ ,” Sydney whispers and swallows involuntarily.

“I got this _especially_ about a month ago, you know…in case I need it with you,” Maggie says flirting with Sydney who is now blushing in deep red.

“ _Hmmm_ …wishful thinking, baby _?_ ” is all that Sydney could utter while trying so hard to keep calm when Maggie slowly approaches her.

“It doesn’t hurt to wish,” Maggie says softly.

Maggie is standing so close in front of Sydney now that she cannot tear her eyes away from looking straight at Maggie’s full breasts. She has tasted them and she remembers how _delicious_ they were in her mouth. At the same time Maggie could feel her nipples harden under Sydney’s stare.

Maggie tucks Sydney’s loose hair behind her ear and kisses her lightly on the cheek.

Sydney almost loses it but then she says quickly, “I better take my shower now” and pecks Maggie back on the cheek.

Maggie chuckles and she follows Sydney into the bathroom with her eyes.

“There is tea in the kitchen!” Sydney shouts from the bathroom.

While waiting for Sydney, Maggie drinks her tea, takes one of Sydney’s magazines from the coffee table and then goes back to the bedroom. She switches the main light off and leaves only the bedside light on. She takes the right side of Sydney’s small bed which is just enough for two and starts flipping through the pages. She takes her phone and plays a romantic song softly.

The song goes;

_‘I really hate to let this moment go_

_Touching your skin and your hair falling slow_

_When a goodbye kiss, feels like this_

_Don’t you wanna stay here a little while_

_Don't you wanna hold each other tight_

_Don't you wanna fall asleep with me tonight_

_Don't you wanna stay here a little while_

_We can make forever feel this way_

_Don't you wanna stay’_

When Sydney comes out of the bathroom, she is so taken by the silhouette awaiting her. Maggie looks so radiantly sexy, warm and beautiful on her bed.

Maggie looks up and their eyes lock for a fleeting moment that feels so wonderful.

And the song continues;

_‘Let's take it slow I don't wanna move too fast_

_I don't wanna just make love, I wanna make love last’_

Maggie does not realise she has been holding her breath at the sight of Sydney that she has to inhale deeply when her lungs feel painfully out of breath.

Sydney has let her hair loose and she has brushed them into glorious golden wave. She too wears her loose silky night gown.

Smiling at Sydney, Maggie pats the bed to invite her in. “I just assume I could take this side of the bed” she says.

“That’s all right,” Sydney says and smiles back. She walks closer to the bed slowly as if she is counting her steps in doing so.

Sydney tucks herself under the blanket to keep warm after the shower. She smells like flower from the shower cream. She keeps her hands to herself for now and lay still as she looks up at the ceiling. She tries to control her nerves but she can’t hide her fast heartbeats. The rush of blood to her brain makes her dizzy.

Maggie observes Sydney from the corners of her eyes as she waits for Sydney to relax and wind down.

“If Sydney won’t make the first move, then I will.” Maggie’s mind works her plan as she pretends to continue reading the magazine.

Both keep their composure and stays in silent for a whole two minutes while they enjoy the song till the end. Then Sydney looks up and asks the most unexpected question.

“Can I hold you?”

Maggie’s heart loses a beat.

She throws the magazine on the floor, slides down into bed and gather Sydney into her arms in gentle embrace as she breath out her answer emotionally.

“ _Ohh baby_ , you don’t need to ask. You can hold me anytime you like. I want you to know that, _okay_.”

And with that she takes Sydney’s lips with her own and her tongue passionately licks and sucks into Sydney’s moist mouth. Sydney feels Maggie’s passion and she meets her with her own passion from deep within as she feels her body warms up and arouses by Maggie’s soft delicious embrace.

“You are so beautiful to me, Maggie _,”_ Sydney says softly when they break their kisses. She lays her head on Maggie’s right shoulder and snuggles into her neck. Her right arm drapes across Maggie’s chest.

At Sydney’s words, Maggie kisses her head and says “You are beautiful to me too, sweetheart” in return.

Maggie’s left hand rubs Sydney’s arm while her right hand strokes her hair. They close their eyes and just enjoy each other’s warmth and softness.

“You don’t understand.” Sydney adds.

“Understand what?” Maggie asks.

Then Sydney lifts up her head and takes a moment to look into Maggie’s eyes before she whispers the magic three words.

“ _I love you_.”

Maggie’s misty eyes stares back at her.

“It’s too late, I can’t stop falling in love with you now; I don’t even know how even if you ask me to.” Sydney adds.

“Then I won’t ask you to,” Maggie replies as she pulls Sydney closer and tighter onto her and she plants long deep kiss on Sydney’s mouth.

“You on the other hand, have taken my heart even long before I realised it,” Maggie confesses.

At that, Sydney squeezes Maggie tightly and kisses her neck. They both feel blissful at each other’s private confession of love.

Still feeling intoxicated, Sydney’s hand absently draws patterns on Maggie’s belly. Then her hand moves up to draw circles on Maggie’s breasts in turns. She does not have any idea how much _torture_ she is putting Maggie into.

Maggie shifts her legs a few times to ease herself but she just let Sydney touches her more.

Then Sydney looks up to Maggie’s face and traces her lips with her fingers.

“I like the shape of your lips.” Sydney says softly. “It looks like a butterfly…a _very_ tasty butterfly,” she adds.

Maggie inhales deeply and kisses Sydney’s fingers.

“You have no idea how you are making me feel right now,” Maggie groans as she wraps Sydney even closer with all her limbs and pulls her into her curves.

“Baby, remember when you say that I am your first romance?” Maggie suddenly asks the question.

“ _Yeahh_ ,” Sydney answers with heavy breathing.

“Is that really true?” Maggie asks as she rubs Sydney below her hip bone and pushing a little pressure in.

“ _It’s true…,”_ Sydney says as she nuzzles Maggie’s breasts through her night gown. Maggie gasps with delicious pleasure.

“Do you mean you never fall for anyone before?” Maggie asks further through closed eyes as she sinks deeply into Sydney’s loving.

“I’ve had a few crushes before but I never let them out; I am not totally unfeeling you know.” Sydney says as she kneads lower down Maggie’s belly with her lips, her hands roams all over to please every inch of Maggie’s body.

“On the contrary Dr. Katz, you are the most passionate person I’ve ever known.” Maggie answers as she moves in rhythm under Sydney’s caress.

_“And_ I have the privilege to make love to you.” Maggie continues her flirting with Sydney.

“ _Mhmm.._ ” Sydney answers as she lifts herself up and covers Maggie’s body with her whole length.

“So stop talking and make love to me already Dr. Lin” Sydney adds hoarsely as she moves in gentle waves into Maggie’s soft curves.

Maggie smiles in full arousal and she reaches over to switch the bedside light off.

 


	17. Goose down Pillows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two women in love on hot dates in between deliveries....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just have to cover the bigger bed and goose down pillows part in this one chapter though I must apologise that it is a rather short one.  
> Thank you for reading.

A woman’s love for another woman is as real and as deep. That is what Maggie has learnt from what she feels for Sydney. She is amaze at what she is feeling for this remarkable beautiful lady. She never knew she is capable of loving another woman like she loves Sydney. She never experienced any sexual fluidity before Sydney, but now she doesn’t even have any second thought about her feelings and attraction towards Sydney. In fact she can’t imagine her heart without Sydney in it anymore.

As for Sydney she has never feel any romantic notion for any boy when she was a teenager or a man when she is a grown up woman. She tried very hard to feel something for them but always her feelings will end up inclines romantically towards a girl or a woman in the end. And now she is in top to toes deeply in love with her beautiful Maggie. And the most beautiful thing is that Maggie too loves her back as much.

To celebrate their new found love, they have gone on a series of hot dates whenever they can in between shifts, in between babies deliveries and in between surgeries.

They have gone to the movies where they would hold hands and steal some kisses in the dark. They have gone to their Bossa Café again for dinners and to enjoy the nights away. But most frequently they would go back to Sydney’s place every night that they can be together.  

On one beautiful and warm night, both of them lay tiredly and naked under the sheets in each other’s arms feeling cosy and comfortable in Sydney’s small bed.

“I want to stay in your arms forever,” Sydney whispers and wraps her arms tightly around Maggie.

Maggie is so touched that she embraces her so close until she can feel Sydney’s heartbeats and she breathes her in. She kisses the side of Sydney’s head and slowly rocks her to the melody of their heartbeats.

“Are you sure?” Maggie asks softly.

Sydney says, “I am as sure as my heart beats.” And she buries her face deeper into Maggie’s neck and kisses it.

“I love you. I want to be your only one.” Maggie whispers into Sydney’s ear and still nuzzling into Maggie’s neck Sydney sniffs and answers with nods.

“I am going to do some online shopping tomorrow,” Maggie says softly as she rubs Sydney’s back to soothe her to sleep.

“What do you want to buy?” Sydney asks as she feels her eyelids getting heavier.

“What do you say to a king size box bed complete with mattress and a couple of goose down pillows?” Maggie answers.

“For who? You already have a king size bed.” Sydney asks as she suddenly feels alert and raises her head to look at Maggie’s face.

“For us sweetheart, here in your home,” Maggie answers looking straight into Sydney’s eyes.

“Are you trying to move in with me?” Sydney asks in anticipation, a smile emerges at the corner of her lips.

“I am serious about us, so sue me.” Maggie answers softly averting Sydney’s eyes as she is not sure how Sydney feels about the matter right now.

Then Maggie adds quickly, “Well, I am not asking to move in with you just yet. But it would be nice to have a bigger bed to rest in with you when we are together. That is if you approve. No pressure.”

Sydney feels her heart swells and warms up. She never thought that Maggie would consider moving in with her. She has thought about it but she never has the courage to say it out loud to Maggie, not when they are still in the _closet_. It makes her feel guilty to keep Maggie in the closet with her. Maggie has said that she doesn’t mind to be her secret for now, but Sydney knows it is not fair to keep them a secret longer than necessary.

“Why the goose down pillows?” Sydney asks Maggie to drag her own mind away from the lurking serious issue behind her mind.

“ _Ehrrm_ , I can still remember how sensually beautiful you looked when you sank your head into the goose down pillows in the hotel that night,” Maggie answers with a glint of flirt in her eyes and her voice.

Then she smacks a kiss on Sydney’s mouth when Sydney looks puzzled as if she is trying to recall that part of the night in the hotel.

When Sydney finally remembers, she hides her face shyly into Maggie’s chest and laughs in her throat. In doing so, she bumps her face on Maggie’s breasts which makes the two peaks harden. Sydney can feel them under her cheeks and a sudden surge of arousal hit her all over again.

Sydney nibbles each peak in turns with her lips and grazes them lightly with her teeth. When she hears Maggie groans over her head she looks up and what she sees on Maggie’s face is priceless. It is a picture of raw desire that she loves so much on her girl.

“You have pushed my button again sweetheart,” Maggie says hoarsely. “Are we going for another round Dr. Katz?” she adds teasingly.

Suddenly Sydney feels the naughty side of her takes over. “And what if we are Dr. Lin? Do you have any objection?” She teases back.

“ _Nope_ , no objection at all,” Maggie says cheekily as she slides her thigh slowly up in between Sydney’s legs and presses a little pressure to flirt with Sydney.

Her hand strokes gently at Sydney’s breasts, her back, her hips, her soft bottoms and down her thighs. When her hand enters Sydney in between her legs, Sydney gasps. Maggie can feel that Sydney is wet all over again and that turns her on even harder. She too feels her floodgate has open wide.

“So, will I get to choose the bed and pillows with you tomorrow?” Sydney asks in between moans of pleasure.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way. They will be on me.” Maggie answers.

‘ _But,…mpphhhhh,_ ” Sydney’s protest is cut short when Maggie’s hand starts dancing in between her legs.

“No _buts_ …just let me,” Maggie says and she swallows Sydney’s moans in her mouth as they please each other for the third time that night.


	18. Heart Surrender

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Every moment they spend together is the moment they treasure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to breakaway from the explicit scenes but every time I start to write, the story flows keep coming back to the women loving each other. I guess I just want to show how deeply in love they are with each other.  
> I do apologise if the scenes make you uncomfortable. This is definitely not for any underage to read.  
> But still, thank you for checking in and reading my updates.

“ _Hello, Maggie_! Where are you?” Sydney calls Maggie on her phone as she reaches her apartment’s ground.

Her voice sounds shaky as she is fighting her emotion at the moment and she hopes Maggie will not notice. It is almost midnight and she is still in her car. Sydney is feeling so lonely and tired from the long drive. She has got to see Maggie tonight so she decided to call her right away.

“ _Hi baby_! I am at home at my place, just about to turn in.” Maggie answers. Her sweet voice sounds like a melody to Sydney’s ear.

Maggie’s heart leaps upon hearing the voice of the person that she loves so much. She has missed Sydney so much since Sydney left yesterday afternoon for a family gathering at her parents’ home.

It took Sydney four hours to drive back home all by herself. Maggie knew because she was keeping track of the time that Sydney left and the time that she texted her to tell that she has reached there safely.

Sydney has received a phone call from her mother earlier that week asking her to come home during the weekend. Sydney has missed her family and it’s been months since she went back to her parents’ home.

So she took two days off to meet her parents and her sister though her heart felt heavy as leaving Maggie seemed to be harder than she thought.

“Wait up for me; I’ll be there in twenty minutes.” Sydney says to Maggie.

“ _What?_ _Wait_ , where are you? I thought you are only coming back tomorrow?” Maggie asks in surprise.

“I am here at my apartment’s ground, I can’t wait till tomorrow. I’ve got to see you tonight.” Sydney sounds desperate and now her voice really sounds shaky.

Then Sydney ends the call hoping she would gain back her composure by the time she reaches Maggie’s place.

She really needs to see Maggie tonight. She can’t wait. The family gathering was great and she was happy to meet her family again. But it turned out to be a cover for a covert operation that her mother has planned and she didn’t like it at all.

Her mother had made the plan behind her back without asking for her opinion before making all the arrangements. She felt embarrassed, she felt lost, but above all she felt like she is losing her sweet _Maggie!_ She can’t even bear the thought of losing Maggie.

She had to get away that night itself right after dinner. She told her mother that she had to leave that night as she has a very important appointment with a patient tomorrow; which is partly true.

She does has an appointment with a patient who insisted to meet her but due to the family gathering she had to postpone the appointment to the day after tomorrow.

Her sister had begged her to stay longer, but Sydney only kissed her cheeks, hugged her tightly and promised to talk to her more at some other time.

“Twenty minutes and she’ll be here,” Maggie says to herself. “Right, better do some tidying up,” she keeps talking to herself as she suddenly feels a nervous excitement washes over her.

She sprang into action; she collects her dirty clothes from the couch and puts the laundry into the washing machine, she straighten up the pillows on the couch, she rearranges the magazines on the table and she goes to the bedroom to make sure it looks alright. “Not that we are going to sleep on the bed, _but_..,” she says softly and stops there.

Then she remembers that she should boil some water in case Sydney would want some hot drink after the long journey. “She must be feeling tired and cold, so hot tea will be good,” Maggie talks to herself again.

While waiting for Sydney to arrive, she goes to the bedroom to look at herself in the mirror to make sure she looks alright. Sydney has seen Maggie in her worst morning looks, but still she wants to look good for Sydney when she arrives. Her heart is racing faster by the minute and she has to breathe deeply to steady her heart beats.

The twenty minutes’ drive to Maggie’s place feels like forever to Sydney. When she finally parks her car, she grabs her bag, rushes in and runs up the three flights of stairs. All the adrenaline rush makes her feels out of breath by the time she reaches Maggie’s door. Her hand is even shaking when she knocks on the door.

“ _Ohh..she’s here,_ ” Maggie’s mind talks and she rushes to the door. She feels so excited to see Sydney.

But when Maggie opens the door, she freezes and her heart drops.

Standing in front of her there is a shaking Sydney. Her eyes are swollen as if she has been sobbing. She motion for Sydney to come in and she closes the door behind them. Maggie does not have a clue of what might have happened but she opens her arms to hug Sydney.

Sydney throws herself into Maggie’s open arms and her tears just flow freely when the feeling of Maggie’s warm embrace, her scent, and her soothing voice takes over her. She feels this is exactly what she needs right now.

Maggie feels puzzled but she wraps Sydney even tighter in her embrace. “ _Shhh..hey sweetheart, what happened_?” Maggie asks and kisses Sydney at the side of her head.

Sydney just shakes her head. She doesn’t have the heart to tell Maggie, not right now. Instead, she kisses Maggie all over her face, her neck, her throat and plants a long deep kiss on Maggie’s mouth as if her life depends on it.

They kiss fiercely until they can’t hold their breath any longer.

When Sydney starts to take off her long coat and her scarf Maggie asks her shakily “ _Baby, do you want to go to your place_?”

Sydney shakes her head and says “I don’t care anymore.”

Then she continues to button down her shirt and takes the rest of her clothes off in record time. Maggie’s eyes open wide and her jaw drops at seeing what Sydney is doing.

“What has gotten into you, sweetheart?” Maggie asks again, this time a small smile appears at the corners of her mouth.

Still sniffing, Sydney answers in a hurried tone “Be quiet and just let me love you.”

Maggie’s heart beats faster and she feels aroused at Sydney’s words. She takes her own shirt and shorts off immediately cladding only in her panties.

Sydney’s eyes are burning with desire and her breathing uneven as she scans Maggie’s naked body from top to toes. She has to inhale and exhale deeply numerous times to get the air back into her lungs.

Sydney reaches for Maggie and kisses her deeply on the mouth again. Her soft lips move slowly and passionately savouring the tastes of Maggie’s mouth like it is the most natural thing to do to feel close. Then she slides her lips and tongue down Maggie’s throat; licking and sucking gently at Maggie’s soft skin. Maggie shudders and hangs on Sydney for support.

Their tongues swipe across lips, tasting, teasing, seeking entrance that develops into sword fight and yet ever so gentle. They answer each other’s want and need in sweet moans and groans as the heat and desire rise up to boiling hot.

Their hands rub each other everywhere in attempts to memorize every curve and every moan that comes with every touch.

Mouth to mouth, chest to chest, hips to hips, arms wrap around each other to bring two bodies ever so close until there is no more space in between. Still they yearn to be even closer and one united in desire and need for the other.

In between gasps and laboured breaths, Sydney says “ _I don’t want to miss a thing_.”

Then she crushes her mouth on Maggie’s breasts sucking each in a mouthful in turns. Maggie has never felt Sydney’s fiery desire like tonight before. Maggie moans aloud when the sucking becomes intense that it opens her floodgate wide at that very moment.

With eyes close and mouth opens, Maggie feels her head travels to the clouds in sweet heightens pleasure. Only Sydney could ever make her feels this way; her own sweet passionate Sydney.

If only she knows what has happened to Sydney back at home.

When Maggie feels things could not get any better, Sydney kisses downwards to her belly and while pulling Maggie’s panties down she crushes her face onto the V shape between Maggie’s legs. She breathes her in deeply as she wants to remember Maggie’s scent forever.

Maggie gasps as she is caught by surprise. “ _This is new. Sydney has never done this before_ ,” Maggie thinks. _“Something must have happened to trigger this side of Sydney to emerge, but what?”_ Maggie decides to find out later, but for now she misses Sydney so much she don’t want to ruin the moment.

Sydney navigates them to Maggie’s bed and pushes Maggie gently as she drops herself together with her on the bed. Her moist mouth makes her marks all over Maggie’s body wherever she can. The sweet pain gives Maggie the thrills from top to her toes.

Maggie wriggles and moves in erotic rhythm under Sydney’s kisses and touches. When Sydney goes in between her legs, she spreads to give the space that Sydney needs. When Sydney licks her _love cove_ and her tongue dances in her _cave_ , Maggie cannot hold anymore but groans and moans sweetly aloud in the bedroom.

Sydney’s tongue feels so tender and yet so sensuously firm bringing sweet pleasure to her. How a boneless flesh can bring so much pleasure to her core really amazes Maggie. And Sydney is determined to please her girl to the moon.

Sydney draws intimate patterns inside Maggie with her tongue until she feels Maggie reaches her pinnacles and shudders.

Sydney is sweating and so is Maggie. Sydney doesn’t let go immediately. Instead she continues exploring, licking and tasting every part of Maggie’s most intimate treasure.

When Maggie can’t take it anymore, she pulls Sydney up to herself. She wipes Sydney’s face and moist mouth with the bed sheets and holds her so close until both of them can feel the raging desires that have taken over them finally subside.

Without a word, Maggie turns Sydney over so that she could be on top of Sydney.

Maggie looks deeply into Sydney’s eyes and asks in silent what has happened. Sydney’s eyes turn misty and tears slowly flows down the corners of her eyes again.

Maggie does not make a sound; instead she kisses each corner of Sydney’s eyes to dry the tears away.

Then she kisses Sydney’s cheeks, nose and lips. Slowly her lips knead Sydney all over her throat, along her shoulders blades, down her chest and her mouth captures Sydney’s breasts. Maggie’s sweet kisses make Sydney moves and moans in sweet pleasure.

When Maggie kisses Sydney all over her belly and sides, Sydney wriggles erotically in sweet surrender. Her skin is all flush and blushingly red with hot arousal. When Maggie comes up to pay her full attention to Sydney’s beautiful inviting breasts, her hand gingerly slides in between Sydney’s legs to feel her moist. Sydney moans deeply in her throat.

Maggie slides her kisses downwards again and moves herself in between Sydney’s legs. She wants Sydney to feel how she has made her felt.

When Maggie’s tongue enters Sydney’s _cave_ , it is Sydney’s turn to gasps in sweet pleasure.

“ _Ohhh…baby…I loveee you…I love you so much…_ ” Sydney says as she sinks her head into the pillow; one hand stroking Maggie’s head and another hand clutch into the bed sheets as deep pleasure takes over her.

“ _That feels sooooo good_ ,” Sydney says again in between moans.

Maggie continues her tongue dance in Sydney’s _love cave_ and teases her spot until she hears Sydney cries aloud and she feels Sydney’s body shudders.

Maggie kisses Sydney all over her inner thighs, her hips, her belly, up her breasts again and finally rests in Sydney’s neck.

“Are you ok baby?” Maggie whispers after a while.

Sydney kisses the side of Maggie’s head and breathes her in.

Then she says “I love you so much. I want you to know that no matter what happens.”

“What do you mean?” Maggie asks in puzzle.

“Just hold me close and don’t let go,” is all that Sydney answers.

Maggie feels Sydney’s words have deeper meanings than its surface. But she lets it go for now. Sydney will tell her when the time comes, she thinks.

As the moon rises higher over the night, both women pull each other in tight satisfied embrace as they breathe heavily and sail slowly away into beautiful slumber.

…………………………..

 

Early the next morning, Sydney wakes up earlier than Maggie. She goes to the kitchen to boil some water to make them some coffee and maybe to prepare some breakfast if Maggie has anything to eat in her fridge.

She is glad when she sees some bread and butter in the fridge.

While waiting for the water to boil, she casts her eyes looking outside Maggie’s windows far beyond Toronto’s skyline. The sun has just starting to peek in the horizon.

Sydney is so lost in her thought that she does not hear Maggie’s footsteps as she walks up slowly behind her.

When she feels long arms come from behind and warmly envelopes her small figure, her feeling is beyond words. She can’t find the accurate word to describe what she feels right now.

It is a load of emotions come together and maybe can only be best described in one word; and that word is _blissfulness_.

Sydney feels tiny tears damp her eyes as she let herself melt into Maggie’s embrace. Maggie’s scent, Maggie’s embrace and Maggie’s breathing are all too familiar to her by now. She loves everything about Maggie and she would not know what she will do without Maggie in her life.

She leans back and rests her head on Maggie’s shoulder. She turns her head and nuzzles into Maggie’s neck to breathe her in. Her favourite scent by far.

Maggie kisses the side of Sydney’s head and wraps her even closer when she feels Sydney shudders in her arms. She too breathes her in.

“A penny for your thoughts?” Maggie asks softly.

Sydney takes a deep breath before she says her mind out loud,” This is all so surreal; so much sweeter than a dream, to be whatever we want to be. I’m scared it will end and disappears.”

Maggie turns Sydney slowly so that she is facing her. Then she parts her lips and plants a soft kiss on Sydney’s mouth.

“ _Sydney baby_ , this is real, we are real, I am real, and you are real,” Maggie assures her tucking Sydney’s loose hair behind her ear and pulls her into her arms again.

When she hears Sydney sniffs, she kisses her head and rocks her to the melody of their heart beats. They hug quietly like that for a while until the water boils and they make breakfast together.

In their minds both Sydney and Maggie can see themselves living together like that and that thought bring loving smiles to their faces as they look into each other's eyes.


	19. Lose Her Not

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sydney and Maggie talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sorry for the long gap. Hope this makes up to the wait.

“So, what’s your plan for today since you still have the day off?” Maggie asks Sydney while they dress up to go out of Maggie’s apartment.

“What time will you be off today?” Sydney answers Maggie with a question.

“After 5 PM,” Maggie says.

“I’ll just drop by the grocery shop after I drop you off at the hospital and then I will go home and get some more rest. I still feel a bit tired from last night’s long drive,” Sydney says back.

“ _Mhmm_ , you did kind of went overdrive last night,” Maggie chuckles and bites her lower lip as she glances at Sydney with the corner of her eyes.

Sydney turns to look at Maggie with wide amused eyes and laughs softly in her throat. “You didn’t like it, Dr. Lin?” she asks.

“Oowhh..I liked it, I liked it very much, Dr. Katz.” Maggie chuckles louder which makes Sydney laughs together.

“I’ll be there at 5.30 PM? Will that be good?” Sydney asks again.

“Yeah, I should be ready by then, unless emergency case crashes in,” Maggie answers, still buttoning up her shirt.

Sydney is all dressed up and is combing her hair when Maggie slips her right hand around Sydney’s waist from behind and another hand tucks Sydney’s hair to the side so that she could kiss Sydney’s neck.

“ _I can’t stay away_ ,” Maggie whispers.

Sydney stops what she is doing and just lets Maggie kiss and embrace her. The tingling sensation flows all over her body from top to toes as Maggie’s lips move slowly on her neck and her warm breath fans her skin.

“ _Baby, you ignite me_ ,” Sydney says as she lets out deep shattered breaths. Her hands reach behind and grab Maggie’s shirt to support herself.

“As much as I want you to go on, we need to go now or you will be late,” Sydney says with tight soft voice, her eyes close still.

Maggie nods and turns Sydney to face her. She plants deep kiss on Sydney’s lips which Sydney receives eagerly as she opens her mouth. They kiss long and hard and moan freely in the bedroom before they break off a minute later and walk towards the door with dizzy heads.

………………….

When they reach the hospital, Sydney parks somewhere secluded. She turns to Maggie and looks at her with eyes full of adoration.

“I adore you,” Sydney says.

“I adore you more,” Maggie replies, looking straight into Sydney’s deep green eyes. She reaches for Sydney’s hands and squeezes them.

“Maggie, we need to talk,” Sydney says in between deep inhale and exhale.

Sydney is about to say something more but Maggie’s phone beeps an incoming texts. She looks at it and says, “It’s the ER.”

Maggie feels something is bothering Sydney and she wants Sydney to know that she is right beside her all the way.

“Can we save it for later? Then I can tell you how happy I am that you are in my life,” Maggie says.

Sydney smiles weakly and nods sideways.

Maggie looks around them to make sure no one is within sight before she leans in to give a quick peck on Sydney’s cheek. But Sydney beats her to it as she turns her face towards Maggie and kisses her mouth.

Maggie freezes and blinks her eyes in surprise but Sydney just reaches up and caresses her cheek with the back of her right fingers instead.

“I’ll see you in the evening, sweetheart,” Sydney whispers first. Maggie just nods as she is still loss for words because she does not expect Sydney to kiss her on the mouth in broad daylight like that.

Maggie gets out of the car with her backpack and turns to look at Sydney once again before she heads for the main entrance. She could feel Sydney’s eyes follow her until she is out of sight.

As Sydney drives out of the hospital compounds and heads up town, she acknowledges the heaviness in her heart when she was watching Maggie go. She realises that she is so deeply and wholeheartedly in love with Maggie.

 _“I don’t want to lose her love_ ,” Sydney’s heart says.

Right now they are still in the closet because of her. She has not found the courage to tell her parents and her sister about her real self before. But with the recent event back at her parents’ home she needs to do something and fast.

………………………

Sydney spends an hour in the grocery store buying food and drinks for Maggie and herself. As she looks into her cart, she realises that most of the stuffs that she has picked are Maggie’s favourite food and drinks. Her heart feels warm when she thinks of Maggie.

After paying for the groceries, she goes to keep the stuffs in her car before heading towards the bakery located just around the corner to get Maggie’s favourite banana and blueberry muffins.

As she is walking towards the bakery, a nearby jewellery store catches her eyes. Something in her heart makes her turns towards the jewellery store instead.

 _“I’ll get the muffins after,”_ she says in her head.

Sydney spends another hour in the jewellery store before she is satisfied with her choice and makes her purchase. She is all smiles as she comes out of the store with a small box thrusts safely in her inner coat pocket and she heads towards the bakery.

………………..

That evening, Sydney waits for Maggie at the same spot where she has dropped Maggie off in the morning. She is early. The time is 5.15 PM and she expects to see Maggie in fifteen minutes time. To kill the time, she takes her smartphone out and browses through the latest medical articles that she subscribes to.

Sydney startles when a knock on the windshield jolts her out of her concentration. She looks up and sees a smiling Maggie waving at her. She unlocks her car doors for Maggie to enter.

“ _Hey you_ , you are early!” Maggie says. She looks tired but happy none the less to see Sydney.

“ _I can’t stay away too_ ,” Sydney says half serious half teasing and smiles at Maggie.

“Well, I am very pleased to hear that,” Maggie teases back and they chuckle together.

As Sydney pulls the car out of the hospital ground and heads towards the roads leading to the lakeside, Maggie turns to Sydney and asks “Where are we going?”

Sydney smiles without taking her eyes from the road and says, “You’ll see.”

………………….

They reach the lakeside before the sun sets.

“You planned this?” Maggie asks as she smiles at Sydney in disbelief. Sydney nods and smiles as she gets out of the car followed by Maggie.

“Let’s go for a walk,” Sydney invites, taking Maggie’s hand in hers.

They walk along the pathway holding hands that soon turns to linking arms and eventually arms around each other’s waist and shoulder.

When they reach a secluded spot with shady trees overseeing the wide lake, they stop and just admire the sunset beyond the horizon.

The beauty of the view and the serenity of the moment add to the romantic mood that the two ladies are already feeling. They find a bench to sit where they hold each other and steal some kisses under the shadow of the sunset.

As they sit quietly in each other’s arms Maggie decides to slowly ask Sydney about her family gathering.

“So how was the gathering?” Maggie asks without sounding too suspicious.

Sydney has been worried that Maggie would ask that question. But she can’t dodge Maggie’s curiosity anymore.

Sydney takes a deep breath and exhales lengthy. She doesn’t know how to break it to Maggie.

“Maggie, I live with a host of expectations. This is my burden to carry. I don’t want to burden you too,” Sydney answers weakly, looking away to the far end of the lake.

“What do you mean?” Maggie asks in puzzle.

“I will handle this in the best way I can,” Sydney’s answer sounds even more like a riddle to Maggie but she is not giving up yet.

Maggie knows Sydney has a lot going on in her mind but for whatever reasons she is holding all of them to herself.

“Baby, what do I mean to you?” Maggie asks again after a moment trying to make Sydney opens up to her.

Sydney turns her head to look into Maggie’s eyes and answers “You are the air that I breathe. I will die without you. I cannot lose you. I won’t.”

Although Sydney says the words with strong conviction her shaky voice hints that she is at the verge of tears.

Maggie feels so touched that tears well up in her eyes. Gently she pulls Sydney into her embrace and kisses her temple.

“And you are my air, baby” Maggie whispers while she rocks Sydney in her embrace.

“It’s fine if you don’t want to talk about it. It’s alright.” Maggie adds.

“It’s just that I feel that it should be _‘us’_ and _‘we’_ by now instead of only _‘you’_ , _‘I’_ , or _‘me’,_ ” Maggie explains her point.

Sydney looks up at Maggie’s face and she feels guilty for making Maggie feels the way she is feeling right now.

“I am sorry, baby” Sydney says and she reaches one hand up to touch Maggie’s temple.

“It’s just that I am not quite sure how to tell my family about us. I never meant to live a chameleon life…living a double sided life like I am doing right now. Only you know what I really am, Maggie.” Sydney adds while her fingers fidget with Maggie’s.

“Well apart from Lena Shebb that is; she kind of read us like a book that dinner night.” Sydney quickly adds in the comic to her tone when Maggie’s eyes widen and mouth opens.

“I knew she was onto something, _or rather onto you_ ,” Maggie says jealously with accusing eyes.

“Relax baby, I made it clear to her that my heart belongs only to you,” Sydney says as she smiles and kisses Maggie’s lips.

…………………..

“Do you still want to know what happen at my family gathering?” Sydney quietly asks after a minute goes by.

Maggie is surprised that Sydney finally decides to open up about the matter but she just nods.

“It was not our normal family dinner gathering. My parents invited some other people that my sister and I never met before.” Sydney tells sadly.

Maggie nods and she takes Sydney’s hands in hers.

“It turned out that my parents were actually planning to arrange an engagement between the son of my father’s long lost friend from Israel and me! _Hershel Hoffman_ is a scholar and also a lecturer back in Israel.” Sydney says it all almost in one breath as if she has been holding the matter for so long in her chest.

“But I was quick to tell my mother that I am not ready to settle down and that I don’t even know who the _prospect fiancée_ is. That’s why I left immediately after the dinner last night,” Sydney continues her narration.

What Sydney does not realise is that right from the word _engagement_ , Maggie has loses all of her concentration and rational thinking. Her clear mind is now clouded with shock and heartbreak. She feels her soul leaves her body and watches from outside as Sydney talks to her empty body.

“I don’t want to be married to this man, nor be engaged to him, Maggie. I love only you and I want to be only with you. I can never be what I am not.” Sydney says and turns to look at Maggie when she feels Maggie’s grip on her hands tighten.

Sydney is shock at what she sees.

Maggie is all pale, her eyes wide open and her lips trembles with shock. Her hands are cold as ice and she is at the verge of hysterical sob.

Sydney quickly springs into action. She reaches for Maggie’s face and rubs her cheeks continuously with her thumbs while she continues to say words of endearments to bring Maggie back to reality.

When that does not work, Sydney kisses Maggie all over her face, her lips and her hands.

“ _Maggie, baby, sweetheart …please come back to me_ ,” Sydney pleads with urgency as she continues to rub Maggie’s cold hands to warm them up.

Sydney lets go of Maggie’s hands and stands to shrug her long coat off. Then she drapes the coat over Maggie’s back and wraps her arms around Maggie while she continues to rub Maggie’s body to bring some warm back into her.

“ _Maggie…where are you? Where have you gone to? Come back to me, I am begging you.”_ Sydney continues chanting frantically.

Maggie’s soul could feel the panic and the deep sorrow in Sydney’s heart. She does not know how she gets out of her body in the first place, but she tries very hard to concentrate on getting back inside her body now.

Sydney is crying and panic starts to attack her. Then she feels Maggie starts to move and sobs hard in her arms.

She looks up and she sees Maggie blinks her eyes and cries like a baby. Colour starts to come back to her sweet face and Sydney never feels so relieved before.

She kisses Maggie all over her face, hugs her tightly and says in tears “ _Don’t ever do that again!”_

 


	20. Urge Me Not

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sydney and Maggie continue talking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 to 'Lose Her Not'...Hope this relaxes you a bit.

“What was that all about? What just happened?” Sydney asks quickly when their tears slow down. She still feels so shaken from the panic attack. Tears stain still very visible on their cheeks.

“I am not sure.” Maggie says almost in whisper. She is feeling daze and so tired from the out of body experience. “That has never happen to me before,” she adds weakly as she bends and cups her forehead in between her hands.

“The last thing I remembered was when you said that your mother arranged for your engagement with a guy from Israel. I felt I was out of my body and I was watching you talking to my body. I was standing right here. But I couldn’t hear what you were saying,” Maggie adds as she points to the spot where she felt her soul was standing.

“ _Really? Are you serious?_ You scare the daylight out of me, Maggie! For a while I thought you were having a seizure or something,” Sydney still sounds and looks really worried.

“I seriously don’t know how that happened.” Maggie still sounds daze and tired.

“I was really worried about you. I don’t get panic easily, but seeing you like that made me feel helpless. We better get you checked up.” Sydney says in serious tone as she continues to check on Maggie.

“ _I am fine_ ,” Maggie assures her which invites the disbelief stare from Sydney. Sydney can still feel that Maggie’s hands are too cold than usual.

“How could you possibly look at this glass as half full? You were not breathing for a whole half a minute there, Maggie!” Sydney exclaims in worry tone.

“Well, you are here.” Maggie says in a matter of fact tone.

Sydney wants to say something more but looking at how stubborn Maggie is she decides to give up arguing with her and just nods weakly instead and says “I am”.

Then the two ladies enwrap each other in a tight embrace again and they don’t let go until they feel the fear of losing the other subsides.

“So are you engaged to this man already?” Maggie dares the question while still resting her head on Sydney’s shoulder.

“ _No!_ Didn’t you hear me said… _”_ Sydney's answer trails off as she remembers what Maggie had told her about the last thing that she remembered.

She decides to rephrase her answer to Maggie’s question instead as calm as she could.

“Maggie, earlier on I was saying to you _that I don’t want to be married to this man, nor be engaged to him; that I love only you and I want to be only with you; and that I can never be what I am not_ ,” Sydney repeats her earlier monologue to Maggie clearly to make her believe.

Sydney’s words strike Maggie’s heart like an arrow.

Maggie gazes into Sydney’s eyes as she tries to read her expression in the silhouette of the sunset. The gentle breeze blows Sydney’s hair softly and makes her looks so beautiful in that moment.

Maggie can’t help the urge to reach out both hands and brushes the stray hairs back behind Sydney’s ears. She kisses Sydney’s mouth softly and rests her forehead on Sydney’s. Maggie shudders as Sydney’s words sink into her mind.

“Are you cold?” Sydney mistakes the shudder as Maggie feeling cold.

Maggie shakes her head and inhales deeply.

“ _Syd._.” she says, then she licks her lips and asks “What will happen if you decline the engagement? What will happen if you tell your parents?” Maggie looks down at Sydney’s hands on her lap while asking that.

“ _Well_.., they might disown me for humiliating them, declare me dead for going against our religion’s teaching, erase me from the family tree not to mention inheritance as they don’t want to have anything to do with me anymore, forbids me from coming in contact with my sister or any of our family for fear that I will bring curse to them, our community might treat me as a leper who must be isolated, and so on and so forth,” Sydney explains in shaky but soft tone as she casts her gaze at the sunset far at the horizon.

When Maggie does not say anything Sydney turns to look at her with deep concern. She does not want another _meltdown_ to strike Maggie again.

The whole time Sydney was saying all that Maggie just stares at her with wide eyes in disbelief and troubled heart. She can feel her heart sinks deeper and deeper with every word that Sydney says.

Sydney notices that Maggie is struggling to accept all that she has said and decides to loosen the tight air a bit. So she huffs and adds in a comical tone “If I am married, when my husband wants to have sex with me he throws his _yarmulke_ on the bed.”

“ _That’s stark_..” Maggie whispers almost to herself and she keeps silent for a moment to let everything sinks in her brain.

Then Maggie stands up and rubs her hands on her thighs in a nervous manner.

“Syd.., I want you to know that my love, my heart, my body and my conscience belong to only you. If I lose you, I will surely lose my self forever,” Maggie declares, then she rubs her face with both hands as she feels her tears about to flow freely again.

“But..,” she adds shakily, “I don’t want you to lose your family. I would rather be heartbroken than let you face the wrath of your parents and be disowned. I don’t want you to be alone in this world without your root.”

Sydney shakes her head profusely and she shifts her sitting position while Maggie says this.

“Listen to me Syd…,” Maggie says, “ _The price at stake is too great for you!._ ”

Then Maggie turns and walks quickly away in tears.

Sydney can’t believe Maggie just said that when she is ready to lose everything for Maggie.

She runs after Maggie and throws her arms tightly around Maggie from behind.

While sobbing hard Sydney says “ _I can’t lose you Maggie. I can’t…, I can’t go on without you_.”

Both women sob their hearts out right there and then. Maggie pulls Sydney’s hands around her tighter and Sydney cries harder as she buries her face on Maggie’s back.

“You are the centre of my life right now, baby. _Please… don’t urge me to leave you_.” Sydney whispers as her tears flow heavily.

Their hearts are so deeply wounded by the very prospect of losing each other.

Then Maggie turns slowly to face Sydney. Both of their faces are so wet and in a mess from the uncontrollable sobbing.

They wipe each other’s faces with their hands and they hug tightly again.

Maggie then navigates them both to a tree close to them and she leans on the tree while she hold Sydney close against her chest. They don’t want to part just yet as if they are afraid that this might be their last moment together in private.

After sometimes as the evening turns darker, Maggie rubs Sydney’s back and says “It’s getting dark, we should be going.”

Sydney nods and they walk together towards the car in each other’s arm.


	21. A Token of Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sydney has something special for Maggie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am just having these flows of scenes in my head, so I will keep updating till they halt.

From the lakeside, Sydney drives them to their favourite Bossa Café to have their romantic dinner together.

They are both quiet all the way but they glances lovingly at each other time and time again to make sure the other is alright. Maggie places her hand on Sydney’s thigh throughout the whole journey.

Sydney parks her car at her usual spot under a street light. Then they walk hand in hand into the cosy café. By now the staffs in the café are familiar with them being together.

They sit at their usual corner and order their usual favourites. They don’t talk much other than exchange some remarks about their surrounding that night. They are very careful in their words as they still feel very dim inside from their conversation by the lake.

Both agree silently that it is safer just to hold hands under the table and listens to the songs.

When their usual waiter comes with their glasses of wine, he wishes them well as he too notices that both ladies are in rather sombre mood tonight.

After taking a few sips of her wine, Sydney braves herself to produce from her pocket the small blue satin box she got from the jewellery shop earlier and push it slowly on the table towards Maggie.

Earlier in the morning, Sydney was feeling that Maggie has been so sweet and wonderful to her that she felt she needed to give her something to express her feelings for her and to make her happy. That was before their emotional conversation by the lake. And now, Sydney wishes she has gotten something extraordinary special instead for Maggie to proof how deep and true her love is.

“ _What’s this?_ ” Maggie asks melodiously with puzzled look. She bites her lower lip.

“Open it.” Sydney says as she smiles nervously while she holds her breath. She is not sure how Maggie will react.

Maggie opens the box carefully as her heart beat races. Her eyes grow wider when she sees the content.

Gingerly, her fingers reach in and pull out a shiny gold necklace with a beautiful solid smooth heart shape pendant the size of her thumb nail. She admires the pendant closely and smiles at the initials engraved on both sides; the letter _M_ on the front side and the letter _S_ on the back.

“For me?” Maggie asks.

Sydney simply nods and waits for Maggie’s reaction expectantly. Sydney has thought that the necklace was a good idea as she has noticed that Maggie does not wear any.

“This is so beautiful baby, you shouldn’t have.” Maggie says still feeling the gift is too much. “But thank you so much, I love it,” she adds.

Sydney is blushing now and speechless. She just nods and smiles widely like a schoolgirl deeply in love. She is so pleased that Maggie likes her gift.

“But why all of a sudden?” Maggie wants to know the reason behind the necklace.

Sydney shrugs and says softly, “I just want to give you something because I love you so much. I want you to feel that I am close to you all the time, if that is ok.”

Maggie purses her lips and with bated eyes she holds the necklace out to Sydney in both hands.

“Will you help me put it on?” Maggie asks.

Sydney nods and takes the necklace from her hands. She leans closer so that she could put her hands around Maggie’s neck.

In doing so, Sydney’s lips brush lightly on Maggie’s left ear. Her warm breath blows sensual feeling into Maggie’s heart that she can’t help but turns her head slightly so that her lips brush Sydney’s blushed warm cheek.

Their perfume lingers in each other’s space making the simple task of fixing the necklace around Maggie’s neck seems harder than it looks for both of them.

When it is done, Maggie holds the pendant with her right fingers and whispers “Thank you” softly into Sydney’s ear and they hold gazes deeply that they don’t realise it when the waiter comes back with their dinners.

Only when the waiter clears his throat that they break their gaze romance and gather back their composure. Both mutter their thanks to the waiter without looking up at him. Suddenly they feel like little children who were caught doing something they shouldn’t have.

“I wish I can kiss you now,” Maggie says softly and chuckles.

“You can if you want to.” Sydney answers without flinching as she picks up her fork and knife and not looking at Maggie.

Sydney’s bold answer surprises Maggie.

“ _Really_? You are not worry that people will see us?” Maggie lets her concern out.

Sydney shrugs and says in a matter of fact tone, “I saw some couples kissed at the other corners when we came in earlier.”

“But they are men and women, and we are… _you know, woman and woman_ ” Maggie whispers the last part, still not believing Sydney just said what she said.

“I think the people here have more or less guessed that we are together by now, Maggie. Don’t you think so?” Sydney raises her eyebrows twice as she tries to joke.

“I am serious, Syd,” Maggie gives Sydney her serious look. To Sydney’s amazement she finds Maggie more enchanting when she tries to be serious.

“I am being serious too, sweetheart.” Sydney adds in the endearment to make Maggie relent. She looks up and meets Maggie’s still unconvinced eyes without blinking.

Maggie pulls her head back and smirks. The way her left eye brow lifts up shows that she can’t believe Sydney just said that.

“What?” Sydney asks followed by a small chuckle.

“Are you really serious? Like _seriously_ serious? Maggie presses on.

“ _Well yeahh_!” Sydney says and gives her attention to her food again. She is starting to feel so hungry from the smell of the food and the food does looks so delicious that her mouth starts to water.

“Sydney, look at me!” Maggie demands in her soft tone before Sydney could start to put the food into her mouth.

Sydney lifts her head up and Maggie cups her jaws with both of her hands. Before Sydney knows it, Maggie plants soft long kiss on Sydney’s lips. Sydney does not expect that but she does not pull back either. She opens her mouth and deepens her kiss on Maggie’s mouth as her hands pull Maggie closer by her shoulders.

They are not bothered by what the people around them would think anymore. Only what they feel towards the other matters the most at that moment.

They only break the kisses when they feel their lungs hurt from lack of air.

Swallowing hard both of them inhale and exhale deeply as their hands caress each other’s cheeks and lips.

“ _Baby_..” Sydney starts to say something first.

“ _Yeahhh..?”_ Maggie says.

“Can we eat now?” Sydney answers and a grumbling sound from her stomach concurs. Both ladies laugh together.

“I am starving for more than just food right now.” Maggie whispers but keeps her attention to her plate.

Then she steals a glance at Sydney and finds that Sydney is gazing lovingly at her.

Sydney reaches for Maggie’s hand and squeezes to let her know that she understands.

“ _Soon, baby..at home,_ ” Sydney whispers back.


	22. Hold You Tight To Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dancing away to the music and scrub cap offering

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The night isn't over yet.

After dinner, the two ladies enjoy the rest of the night sitting so close in each other’s arm. Maggie wraps her arms over Sydney’s shoulders as Sydney leans her back on Maggie’s chest. They drink their second glasses of wine while listening to the singer’s rendition of smooth melodies.

When it’s time to go, they pay their bill and tip the waiter generously for serving them in his kind ways. The waiter thanks them and bids them good night.

As they got up from their sit and gather their purses, the singer notices that they are about to leave.

The singer knows that the two ladies have become their regular patrons and tonight she has been observing them secretly from the stage. She can see that the two ladies are moving on to a new level in their relationship. As her way of acknowledging them she starts to sing a new song that they never heard before.

_You think I'd leave your side baby_

_You know me better than that_

_You think I'd leave you down when you're down on your knees_

_I wouldn't do that_

_I'll tell you you're right when you want_

_And if only you could see into me_  


The song makes the two ladies halt in their steps and they look over at the singer who is now smiling and acknowledges them with a graceful nod.

_Oh, when you're cold_

_I'll be there_

_Hold you tight to me_  


Sydney suddenly feels so emotional that she looks dreamily into Maggie’s eyes. Maggie could feel a sudden tug in her heart at the way Sydney is looking at her right now.

There is something so intense in that look that makes Maggie swallows hard involuntarily.

It could be the effect of the wine; it could be the song; it could be because of the beautiful girl that they are with tonight; or it could be the perfect blend of all that that make their heads feel light.

As if they are floating on air and surrounded by clouds as white as snow, the people around them begin to fade away from their visions. There are only she, her and the soothing melody in the room.

_When you're on the outside baby and you can`t get in_

_I will show you you're so much better than you know_

_When you're lost and you're alone and you can't get back again_

_I will find you darling and I will bring you home_

Maggie is still trying to read Sydney’s expression when she feels Sydney’s hands tug at hers.

“Dance with me?” Sydney asks softly. Her voice is almost inaudible, drowned by the song.

Before Maggie could register what Sydney is saying, Sydney pulls Maggie gently to the empty space beside the stage that serves as a small dance floor.

Sydney wraps Maggie’s waist with her arms around her and starts to lead Maggie to sway into the rhythm. Though still staring at Sydney’s face with wide surprised eyes as she still can’t believe Sydney just did that, Maggie slides her arms over Sydney’s shoulders and follows her lead.

They are oblivious to their surroundings as they sway to the melody so close in each other’s arms while lock in deep dreamy gazes.

_And if you want to cry_

_I am here to dry your eyes_

_And in no time_

_You'll be fine_  


The singer smiles contently to herself as she watches the lovebirds dance to her rendition. And as if sensing their need to hold each other a little longer, the singer purposely drags the song longer than it supposed to be.

_Oh when you're low_

_I'll be there_

_By your side baby_  


By the time the song ends, Sydney finds herself almost asleep in Maggie’s arms to the lullaby of her heartbeat. She looks up and sees Maggie too has closed her eyes while cradling her head onto her chest.

Maggie kisses Sydney’s head and Sydney lifts her lips up to kiss Maggie on the lips. When their lips meet halfway, immediately they could feel the warm fluttering butterflies in their tummies. They have to pull themselves away quickly from the other for they know where the butterflies would lead to.

Both ladies smile knowingly at the other as their hands lace firmly together.

They look towards the singer, mouthed their thanks and smile at her before they really make their exit this time.

“Remind me to limit you to just one glass of wine next time,” Maggie says and chuckles.

“It’s all to do with you baby and not the wine,” Sydney answers with a blushing smile.

…………………

 

The time has just turns to 10 o’clock when they reach Sydney’s place.

Sydney lets Maggie take her shower first as she wants to do some tidying up. She has left her place a bit in a hurry the other day when she drove home to her parents’ house. And being a perfectionist, she feels the urge to tidy up the little mess that she left behind while she boils the water to make tea.

Maggie does not take her time in the shower as she has started to feel cold. She takes a quick shower, brushes her teeth and changes to her pyjamas.

She walks out of the bedroom and finds Sydney at the kitchen counter making them tea. She bear hugs Sydney from behind to warm herself, breathes her in and kisses her cheek.

“ _Mmmm_ …I am Olaf and I like warm hugs,” Maggie says with husky voice mimicking _Olaf_ the talking snowman from the movie _Frozen_ and they both giggle to Maggie’s joke.

“Okay _Olaf_ , here is your warm tea to warm you up,” Sydney says with an amused smile as she plays along and lifts a mug to Maggie.

Maggie lets Sydney go to take the mug from Sydney’s hand and she wraps her fingers around the mug to warm her hands.

“Thanks,” Maggie murmurs. “But soft warm body works so much better than hot tea.” She adds, pretending to look sadly into her tea.

“In that case, give me 10 minutes and I will see if I can find you one,” Sydney laughs in her throat and she can’t help but to smack a kiss on Maggie’s cute sad face before making her way to the bedroom.

Sydney smiles to herself when she hears Maggie chuckles behind her.

“How does she manage to be so cute?” Sydney thinks while shaking her head. She is still smiling thinking about Maggie’s cute ‘ _sad’_ face when she goes into the bathroom.

Sydney washes as quickly as she could manage. Her heart beats faster by the minute as she knows Maggie is waiting for her in bed.

In the changing room, Sydney chooses her soft smooth nightgown and tries to make her look as nice as possible. At the same time she is feeling somewhat nervous as if she is going to sleep with Maggie for the first time.

When she feels that her heartbeat starts to race too fast Sydney stops what she is doing and looks at herself in the mirror.

She starts to reflect on what has happened starting from last night until now. Everything that she has done she has made sure that she includes Maggie. As if her life moves along around Maggie as the centre. She realises how much Maggie has grown on her like strong protecting vines.

What if Maggie is not in her life for one single day? Will she be able to cope? Because as it is now Sydney feels she can’t bear to be apart from Maggie physically or emotionally. Maggie’s meltdown by the lakeside has proven that.

Sydney can feel that her heart is full of her love for Maggie. She is ready to give all of her to Maggie and to face the world with her if she will have her.

Sydney makes up her mind and she is determined.

“Baby…are you ok in there?” Maggie’s voice calls softly from the bedroom when she realises that Sydney has been quiet for sometimes in the changing room.

“Give me a minute..,” Sydney calls back.

“Take your time, I just want to make sure that you are alright,” Maggie answers.

Sydney’s heart swells with love knowing that Maggie really cares for her.

She takes deep breaths repeatedly until she feels her heartbeat is back to normal. She is about to leave the changing room when her eyes catch on one thing in her drawer.

She considers for a moment and then she smiles at herself. She reaches for the thing and holds it in her right hand and makes her way out to meet her waiting Maggie.

Maggie lies on the bed while waiting for Sydney anxiously. She crosses one leg over the other, crosses her arms over her chest and closes her eyes while waiting patiently for Sydney to get ready for bed.

She is a woman too; she knows a woman can do a thousand and one things in the changing room. She chuckles when she thinks about it.

Thinking back on the events of the day between them, though Maggie said that she can’t let Sydney lose her family, she can’t deny that she too will lose herself if she lets Sydney go.

She is so deeply in love with Sydney that it will feel so hurt to part from her. Sydney has become the veins in her heart that if they are separated she is so sure that her heart will stop beating.

“That out of body experience has proven that!” Maggie nods to herself as her mind keeps whispering.

Maggie can’t imagine any day of her life without Sydney anymore.

“Sydney, you are _the love of my life_ ,” Maggie whispers aloud without realising.

“And I will tell her that tonight,” she says to herself and she kisses the heart shape pendant that Sydney gave her.

When Sydney emerges from the changing room, Maggie hears her but she pretends to be asleep.

Then she feels a piece of cloth drapes over her arms.

Maggie opens her eyes and looks at the cloth and instantly recognises Sydney’s scrub cap.

But Maggie can’t help but feels puzzled at why Sydney would need her cap in bed.

With raised eyebrows and puzzled eyes, Maggie takes the cap in her hand and sits up by the bed facing Sydney.

“Is this a Jewish custom you are showing me right now?” Maggie asks softly with a teasing tone.

“No, I kind of invented this one; in replacement of the _yarmulke_ that is,” Sydney answers with a smile as she rolls her eyes.

And then Sydney’s look turns serious. Her nervous eyes quickly lock with Maggie’s anticipating eyes.

Sydney walks closer to Maggie’s space and starts to speak. But her voice sounds so tight that she has to clear her throat.

Sensing that they are about to talk about serious matters, Maggie opens her legs, reaches up and brings Sydney closer to her space by her waist. From her sitting position Maggie looks up at Sydney and smiles encouragingly at her with googly eyes.

Taking a deep breath, Sydney starts to speak in her drawling way.

“Maggie, I don’t know what will happen tomorrow and I know this may sound scary to you but if you will have me, will you be my only lover for the rest of my life?”

Maggie blinks twice and swallows.

Then Sydney continues,” I know I am not the best person for you in so many ways, but I am here for you to choose should you ever consider me as an option.”

Maggie now feels her tears threaten to sneak out of the corner of her eyes at Sydney’s words.

“I love you, Maggie, and I would do anything to be with you.” Sydney says without blinking. She is clearly determined.

“That is the most beautiful thing a person can say to someone,” Maggie says softly.

“I am in love with you too; so deep it scares me that I would wake up tomorrow and find I have to let you go.” Maggie confesses.

“But I am willing to take this chance to go over the edge with you and do the free falling together.” Maggie adds as she hugs Sydney on her belly and rests her head on Sydney’s chest. Her lips just inches away from Sydney’s right nipple and her eyes watch as it hardens under Sydney’s soft gown.

Then crucial matter comes into Maggie’s mind.

“What about your family?” Maggie asks.

Sydney takes a deep breath and exhales. “I will tell my parents and my sister.” She says sadly looking at the floor.

“I can’t be married to anyone else knowing I am in love with you, Maggie.” Sydney adds.

“If even I am forced to marry this guy, I’ll be missing you and thinking about you as the one that gets away. It will be worse because I’ll be committing adultery in my mind and heart.” Sydney’s voice is trembling now.

Then she adds “They will get around or they won’t but I can’t continue my chameleon life anymore. Not when I know I could have you.”

Sydney kisses Maggie’s head after she says this.

“What about your family, Maggie?” Sydney asks in return.

“I will call my mom and tell her that I have a girlfriend who passionately loves me as much as I love her,” Maggie smiles dreamily as she tightens her arms around Sydney.

“ _Girlfriend_?” Sydney chides jokingly.

“Well, yeah, we are dating aren’t we? Maggie pretends to sound surprised.

“I mean we went out on dates, we kissed, we slept together and we _made love_ (Maggie emphasises on the word), don’t they make us girlfriends?” Maggie says as her eyes widen and she grins jokingly at Sydney.

Sydney kisses Maggie on her lips and smiles as she says, “I like the title, I like it very much.”

Maybe in time they will promote their relationship to another level and change their title again, Sydney smiles as she thinks wishfully.

“Baby… _are you_ thinking wishfully now?” Maggie teases.

“Maybe..” Sydney feels shy at being caught smiling at her fantasy.

“ _Mhmmm_ …maybe I can help with that,” Maggie drawls as her hands brushes up along Sydney’s legs under her nightgown, bringing the gown up over Sydney’s head and places it at the edge of the bed.

“I don’t know why I bother to wear my nightgown when you are going to take it off of me anyway,” Sydney teases huskily.

“It’s sexier this way..,” Maggie whispers as her hands rubs Sydney’s body enjoying her warmth under her hands.

Maggie’s mouth follows where her eyes are staring and she gives fullest affection to Sydney’s breasts in turns.

Sydney gasps and moans freely as she feels her floodgate opens at that very moment.

“ _Ohhh..you are so good at this_ ,” Sydney whispers as she feels so aroused.

Maggie chuckles in her throats and abandon the breasts to say hoarsely “ _You bring it out in me, my sweet baby.”_

And they please each other tenderly like the first time all through the night knowing they both have declared their commitments to their relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for checking in and reading. Hope you enjoy this one. Would love to hear from you.


	23. Girls Crush Come Crashing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Along come Mrs Ruth Rushmore and more

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is different from what we are used to.  
> I hope the twist is alright.

“Dr. Katz, your patient is ready in Room 2,” Nurse Nora says as professional as she could while handing the patient’s file to Sydney. She avoids meeting eyes with Sydney.

“Thanks Nora,” Sydney says smiling curtly at her. She could feel Nora is not acting her usual friendly self and she is wondering why.

Sydney still remembers that Maggie once felt jealous of the nurse when she thought that the nurse was flirting with her. Sydney still feels amused thinking about it.

It’s been a week since Sydney and Maggie declared their commitment and love towards each other on that one special night. Since then Sydney and Maggie have not tried to hide their affection for each other when they thought no one was looking. They still mind their public display of affections in the presence of the other staffs and patients though.

Maggie is all too happy and has been enjoying all the little affection and attention that Sydney has given her. Sydney has been so generous with her affection and pampers Maggie with whatever she can think of; flowers, muffins, cookies, energy bars, and small soft toys.

And Maggie gives back; she reciprocates gladly.

Anyone with the right state of mind would sense the love floating in the air around these two talented young doctors.

Sydney studies the patient’s file who named herself as _Mrs. Ruth Rushmore_. She is in her thirty fourth weeks of pregnancy but unfortunately she is experiencing a very bad pain at the side of in her lower belly which does not have anything to do with labour contraction.

“You paged?” Maggie’s urgent voice breaks Sydney’s thought. She seems to be catching her breath. Maggie was in the staff’s restroom when Sydney paged her to come over to the OB wards.

Sydney lights up when Maggie comes to her side. “Dr. Lin, come with me to Room 2 for a consult.”

Maggie purses her lips, raises her eyebrows and nods. She subconsciously rests her left hand on Sydney’s lower back as she matches Sydney’s steps to walk towards the intended room.

Sydney smiles at Maggie and asks softly “Did you run here?”

Maggie nods and answers in a pretend gallant tone “I will come running whenever you need me no matter where you are.”

Maggie manages to stay serious until Sydney nudges her with her elbow. Maggie’s nose betrays her when it twitches and that invites throaty laughs from Sydney. Maggie can’t help but chuckles together.

Nurse Nora watches their exchange of affection silently from behind the counter with the corner of her eyes while clutching a file tightly in her hands. She has secretly admires Sydney and now she can feel her dream crushed.

……………………………………

Sydney reads the patient’s file to Maggie until they reach the entrance to the patient’s room.

_“Mrs. Ruth Rushmore._.” Sydney calls her name without looking up from the file.

“ _Sydney Katz…”_ a voice calls at Sydney. Sydney swears she could recognise that voice anywhere.

Sydney looks up immediately and is surprised to see her old friend.

“ _Neshema…!,_ ” Sydney only manages to say the name. She is still in the state of semi shock.

“But this file says _Mrs. Ruth Rushmore,_ ” Sydney says in puzzle with her eyebrows furrowed.

“Ruth Rushmore is my wife,” Neshema says and smiles at the lady standing beside her holding her hand. Ruth smiles as she extends her hand to Sydney and they shake hands.

“Call me Ruth. So you are the famous Sydney Katz. Neshema talks highly of you. She often talks fondly of you it makes me jealous sometimes,” Ruth jokes with a hint of truth.

“ _Oh Ruthy_. You shouldn’t feel that way. You are my love and always will be. You saved me.” Neshema says squeezing Ruth’s hands.

Then Neshema extends out both of her hands to Sydney inviting her to a hug. “Come here Sydney, it’s been so long.”

“Wow…Nesh..it _has_ been so long,” Sydney says and laughs at the same time. She extends out her hands as well and the two ladies embrace. They kiss each other on both cheeks and hold hands.

“My goodness! Look at you!” Sydney exclaims. She can’t help but flushes with joy at meeting her old friend.

“I know right, I am _so_ pregnant.” Neshema answers in delight. She too feels so happy in meeting her old friend.

“What brings you here?” Sydney asks. Then she remembers she has not introduced Maggie to Neshema.

“Sorry…, where are my manners.” Sydney says as she turns to Maggie.

“Maggie this is Neshema, my childhood friend. We grew up together.” Sydney says.

Then Sydney turns to Neshema and says “Neshema, this is Dr. Maggie Lin. She is one of our talented surgeon and OB.”

Maggie smiles as she shakes hand with Neshema and Ruth. She has been watching the three ladies’ reunion with much interest.

Then Sydney repeats her question to Neshema. “What brings you here? Where have you been?”

“I’ve been staying in Montreal. That’s where I met Ruthy. We came here a few days ago for a friend’s wedding. We were supposed to return home today but the side of my belly hurts so much. Maybe it’s my appendix, but I am not sure.” Neshema explains.

Then she adds “I know you are an OB in this hospital and it is not so far from the place we were staying. That’s why we came here.” With that she groans as the pain kicks in again.

“Let’s get you checked up then.” Sydney says as she turns to her serious doctor mode.

……………………………

As it turns out, Neshema needed to get her appendix removed. The operation was simple and straight forward. Maggie and another general surgeon conducted the operation.

Neshema has just woke up from the anaesthesia when she feels her contraction starts. The nurse alerts Sydney and Maggie that Neshema is going into labour.

Maggie gives all the necessary instruction to the nurses to prepare Neshema for labour.

“Sydney, will you give me the honour of delivering my baby,” Neshema asks Sydney in between breathing.

And Sydney says with a smile, “Of course. The honour will be mine.”

Sydney delivers the baby without complication with Maggie assisting her. Neshema gives birth to a beautiful baby girl with a beaming Ruth beside her.

………………………….

Later that day, as Sydney and Maggie cuddles together on the couch in Sydney’s office, she confesses to Maggie that Neshema was her childhood idol because Neshema was older, pretty and mature. Neshema was always protective of Sydney and that made Sydney felt special. They were the best of friends.

But as Sydney turned seventeen she started to have strong feelings towards Neshema. She didn’t understand what she was feeling then but now she knew she was having a huge crush on Neshema at that time.

Neshema was twenty one when her sister caught her kissing another girl. Being naïve, her sister told their mother straight away. When confronted, Neshema had to confess to their parents that she liked girls. Her parents forced her to discard her inclination and they wanted to arrange for a marriage for her immediately.

Neshema couldn’t agree to her parents’ decision and ran away from home ever since. Sydney has never heard from her again until today.

Apparently Neshema has been keeping track on her old friend all this while through the internet. It made Sydney felt embarrassed that she didn’t even try to locate where Neshema was.

It broke Sydney’s heart that Neshema had kissed another girl. Maybe the heartbreak would not be too much if Neshema had kissed a boy. Maybe she won’t feel too jealous if Neshema had kissed a boy instead.

But that was ten years ago. The incident had left a dark fear in Sydney.

Sydney had been so worried and so scared that someone will find out about her crush for Neshema that she abandoned her feelings and buried them deep inside never to surface again.

Everytime the same feeling creeps in, Sydney would quickly shake them off and bury herself in her studies or her work to keep her mind occupied.

Her life has been in grey shades until Maggie brought in the colours.

“You are the colour of my life, Maggie.” Sydney kisses Maggie’s temple.

Maggie looks down and kisses Sydney sweetly and softly on her mouth. She tighten her arms around Sydney and breaths her in.

“And you are the love of my life, sweetheart.” Maggie says softly over Sydney’s head.

“Do you still have the same feeling for Neshema after all this years?” Maggie asks hesitantly.

Sydney shakes her head and replies “I still feel some soft spot for Nesh, but as an old close friend. I just feel bad that I wasn’t there to help Nesh when she needed a friend the most.”

Then Sydney shifts in Maggie’s arms and looks at Maggie in the eyes and says, “Nothing compares to you and this love that I am feeling for you. You are my sunshine, my moonlight, my wind, my rain, the water I drink and the air I breathe.”

That being said, Sydney cups Maggie’s face and seals her vows with deep long kisses on Maggie’s sweet moist mouth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, maybe a few more chapters and this story will come to its end.  
> I hope to be able to post more chapters the soonest possible for you all. Thank you for reading. Truly, your hits and comments have given me much needed inspiration.


	24. Their Definition of Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When they love, they love hard and truely

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When we love, we risk it all, we do anything, we defy the world for the ones that we love.

Just before dawn Maggie wakes up from her slumber. She opens her eyes above the sheets without stirring. She doesn’t want to wake her most favourite person from her dream. Maggie’s naked body enwraps and protects Sydney’s naked form delicately from behind and so close they seem to be one. They are both lying on their left sides facing the window overlooking Toronto’s dark skyline.

Maggie loves the soft body sleeping soundly in her arms. How she wants the moment to go on forever. The sound of Sydney’s breathing plays like soft lullaby in the quietness of the morning and she looks so peaceful.

When Maggie breathes in Sydney’s scent something in her ignite. She swallows involuntarily and pulls Sydney in closer.

She can’t help it. Sydney’s soft skin is so invitingly too delicious not to be smelled, kissed and tasted. Gently and ever so softly Maggie caresses Sydney’s bare skin with her nose and leaves butterfly kisses on Sydney’s bare back as she goes on. A warm feeling builds up in her belly and her womanhood aches to be in contact with Sydney.

Maggie’s right hand strokes slowly over Sydney’s curvy waist, down her hip, along her thigh and slowly back up the same way. But her hand doesn’t stop there. Her hand finds its way to Sydney’s belly and up her breasts. Her fingers encircle Sydney’s nipples softly in turns till they harden and peaked. But she doesn’t stop.

Maggie smiles in the dark. She loves it when Sydney’s body reacts to her touches even in sleep.

Maggie is so engrossed in caressing and kissing Sydney’s soft warm body that she doesn’t realise Sydney is awake even though her eyes are closed.

Sydney has been awake ever since Maggie pulls her closer in. But she kept still and fought the urge to turn around and embrace Maggie. She wants Maggie to touch her freely. She loves it when Maggie touches and kisses her in the morning like that when she thinks Sydney is asleep.

She is addicted to Maggie’s touches like she is under a spell. Maggie just knows where and how to touch her. Or maybe it is Maggie’s beautiful love that she can’t get enough of. It sends shocks right through her every time Maggie touches her.

Sydney breathes slowly and pretends to be still asleep. All the while she feels every move that Maggie does, she memorises every sensual wave that Maggie’s lips send through her skin.

But when Maggie’s warm mouth sucks hard on Sydney’s bare back with her hands cupping both of Sydney’s breasts from behind, Sydney can’t keep quiet anymore. She moans deliciously and stirs sensually under the sheet.

Maggie feels her head is getting dizzy with arousal. She can’t hold any longer.

Maggie’s kisses send fever all over Sydney’s body. She feels tingling from her spine down her every toe. She arches her head backwards over Maggie’s shoulder and cries softly when Maggie’s hand sneaks between her legs and feel the pool inside.

Sydney opens her legs to give entrance to Maggie and Maggie wraps her right leg over Sydney’s leg so that their bodies flushed closer.

Maggie knows exactly what she is doing. She can by heart every inch of Sydney’s body from their frequent moments together.

Sydney opens up wholly for Maggie, she doesn’t hold back. Maybe that’s what people do when they love someone. They give everything they got without thinking twice, they don’t ask anything in return and they risk it all.

_“Baby…you are amazing.”_ Sydney whispers. Her hands roaming over Maggie’s body, touching her wherever she can reach.

And Maggie answers her with soft groan. “ _You feel amazing_.”

Maggie’s mouth sucks at Sydney’s shoulder all the while her hands give pleasure to her girl; one hand loving the breast and another dancing sweetly and tenderly in Sydney’s secret cave.

Sydney could feel her body is lifted up higher and higher with every rub and caress.

When finally she feels huge waves crash on her shore, she shudders and collapse in Maggie’s arms. Both women breathe heavily and hoarsely.

Maggie embraces Sydney tighter from behind as she feels her own arousal heightens.

Sydney sensed it and before their arousal subsides, Sydney turns in Maggie’s embrace to face her.

Immediately she covers Maggie’s breast with her open mouth. Her tongue expertly swipes, licks and sucks Maggie’s nipples with warm gentleness. When Sydney encircles the nipples continuously in turns, Maggie could feel her toes go numb and her whole body on fever.

Then Sydney lifts her body on top of Maggie and kisses her slowly all over her throat, shoulders, chest, sides and belly. Maggie could feel her whole body sings with every kiss, every stroke and every caress that Sydney leaves on her body.

When Sydney sees how red and hot Maggie’s face and body are, she lays herself closer and continues to caress Maggie’s breasts with her lips and tongue. Her right leg strokes gently over Maggie’s legs and her hand strokes gently at Maggie’s side. And when Maggie least expected, Sydney’s hand slides in between Maggie’s legs and finds Maggie’s spot instantly.

Maggie is so wet and warm. Sydney abandons Maggie’s breasts and moves down in between Maggie’s legs to replace her fingers with her tongue.

“ _Mhhmmppphhh…that’s feels sooo good baby_..”

Maggie moans deliciously that Sydney feels so aroused again.

Sydney continues her tongue dance as she tastes and licks Maggie’s _juicy honey_. Her hands roam up to find Maggie’s nipples and caress them with her thumbs to give more pleasure to her lover.

Maggie loves every moment of it. She savours every touch, treasures every kiss and she just give it all to Sydney. She trusts Sydney, she loves her and she will never let her go. Sydney is the meaning of love for her.

While her mind sings praises and declares vows of love to Sydney, her arousal is being lifted up so high until she reaches her pinnacles deliciously. She can’t help but moans aloud.

Sydney’s love making and caresses make both of them sweat and out of breath in that wee hour.

Feeling tired, they kiss and collapse in each other’s arms once again just to feel close and enjoy the warming down session together. The lovers doze of soundly till the alarm clock wakes them up rudely at 6 A.M.

…………………………

 

“Dr. Katz, Neshema is about to be discharged. Do you want to see her before she leaves?” Maggie talks to Sydney on the phone. Sydney is reading her emails in her office while Maggie is at the wards.

“I’ll be right there Dr. Lin.”

It has been a week since Neshema was admitted to their hospital. She has healed well and is doing fine. So is her baby girl. And now it is time for them to return home.

“Hey there,” Sydney greets Neshema’s family happily as they are getting ready to leave.

“Sydney!” Neshema exclaims.

“I am not so sure if we will see you again knowing how busy you are.”

“Nonsense, I’ll make time for you.” Sydney replies and she smiles.

“All set?” She asks and looks at Ruth.

“Yeah, I am just waiting for Dr. Lin to come with the discharge documents for me to sign.” Ruth answers.

“And here are the documents,” Maggie’s voice comes from the doorway. She walks in and stands close to Sydney.

It’s amazing how they could feel each other just by standing close like that.

Sydney looks up and smiles at Maggie. She can still feel in her their sweet love making in the wee hours that morning.

And Maggie smiles back knowingly. She too feels the same.

Then Maggie move towards Ruth and shows her where to sign.

In the meantime, Sydney comes closer to Neshema and looks lovingly at her baby who is feeding gently on her mother’s breast.

“We are going to call our baby girl Naomi Sydney Rushmore,” Neshema says softly.

Sydney looks up at Neshema and then at Ruth in clear surprise.

“Are you sure? You shouldn’t have,” Sydney says hesitantly with a tone of doubt in her voice.

“You delivered her, you are my very close friend and you are more than a sister to me, Sydney.” Neshema explains.

“And Ruthy agrees.” She adds while looking at Ruth for support.

“Yes, Dr. Katz. It will be an honour for us if you would let us name our baby after you.” Ruth says as she comes to Neshema’s side.

“In that case, the honour is all mine if you insist.” Sydney relents.

“ _We insist_.” Ruth and Neshema answer together.

And they laugh softly together, careful not to scare the baby.

Sydney reaches for Neshema’s hand and squeezes. She still can’t believe that she and Neshema are connected again after being apart for so long.

“I am glad you found love and lives a happy live, Nesh. And I wish the three of you more happiness in the future.”

Neshema nods and smiles, “Thank you” she says.

“And how about you? Have you found love?” Neshema asks softly in genuine concerned tone as she looks into Sydney’s eyes.

Sydney looks away and blinks her eyes several times to stop the tears that threaten to sneak out from the corner of her eyes.

Her throat feels tight and she has to swallow hard so that she could speak.

When her voice won’t come out, Sydney just nods several times and smiles. She sniffs and wipes away some stubborn tears.

“As a matter of fact I have. I have found my definition of love.” Sydney manages to say with tight voice.

“And what is your definition of love, sister?” Neshema pries tactfully.

Sydney looks across the room where Maggie is standing still with the file in her hands waiting in anticipation and halted breath at what Sydney is going to answer.

“ _Maggie Lin_ ”

Sydney answers simply with her eyes gazing lovingly at Maggie. Maggie swallows hard at Sydney’s brave revelation.

“ _Really? And you and Dr. Lin are_ ….?” Neshema’s question trails off. She tries to sound calm but her wide eyes give away her shock.

Sydney simply nods and smiles as she holds out her right hand to Maggie. Maggie walks over to Sydney, takes her hand and kisses Sydney’s head.

“When you love someone, you do crazy things that you can’t explain, nothing else matters, when you need someone, nothing else can change your mind.” Sydney says while looking dreamily into Maggie’s eyes.

“ _Wow_ …” Neshema breathes her voice out.

“I never expected you to be like me,” she adds. “I never have the slightest thought about it.”

“You wouldn’t, no one would.” Sydney confesses.

“But it’s alright; we are so much in love with each other.” Sydney adds while looking at Maggie.

Maggie nods and smiles proudly at Sydney for being brave to let her childhood friend know that they are together.

“Does anyone back home know?” Neshema asks hesitantly.

Sydney shakes her head but says with quiet determination “I will let them know when the time comes.”

“Well, I am happy that you two found love in each other. Be strong for one another and don’t give up on one another. Believe in your love.” Neshema says with conviction of a big sister that Sydney always admires in her.

Sydney is speechless that she gathers Neshema with her free arm and hug her with the baby on her chest while her right hand still hold onto Maggie’s hand tightly.

“Thank you.” Sydney whispers with her tears flowing now.

“Keep in touch now that we have re-connected. I would love to see some pictures of baby Naomi growing up.” Sydney adds.

After talking for a few more minutes, they shake hands, wish each other well and bid their farewells to one another.

Maggie rests her hand on Sydney’s shoulder as they leave the room and walk along the hallway in silent.

Both of them are still thinking about what has taken place a while ago in the room. When there is no one near them, Maggie breaks the silence first.

“Are you going to tell Neshema that you had crush on her a long time ago?”

Sydney stops on her step and turns to face Maggie.

“No. That was long time ago and it doesn’t mean anything to me anymore. My love is right here in front of me and that’s all that matters.” Sydney says softly as she takes Maggie’s hand and squeezes.

At Sydney’s determined words, Maggie looks back at Sydney with loving misty eyes. Her throat feels tight.

“ _I am so in love with you, Sydney Katz_.” is all that Maggie can whisper.

 


	25. High Fly Lover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Always be my baby, no matter how far and how long you may go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel bad for keeping you waiting for too long. Work has been hectic. Here's a short update for you. Hope this is alright. Thanks for all your comments and support. They keep me burning.

One evening before going back home, Maggie is in Sydney’s office helping her to pack her stuffs to move to the Chief’s office.

Sydney has been promoted to Chief of OB/GYN & Neonatal Surgery for the hospital and Maggie has been promoted to Staff OB. Sydney’s office will now be Maggie’s office.

“I am so proud of you sweetheart.” Maggie says.

“And I am prouder of you. You are now a Staff OB barely a year after you passed your test.” Sydney says as she beams proudly at Maggie.

Maggie smiles but deep down inside she feels a touch of sadness.

Sydney’s high position comes with high prices. Her responsibilities have increased almost triple with the promotion which means Maggie and her will have lesser time together.

Sydney has to oversee three departments and on top of that she receives invitations from universities and medical schools to give lectures. To add to that the CDC in the States has included her in their pool of _brainy medical experts_.

So, what quality time they could spare for each other, they would make use of it to the _fullest_.

“Have I told you that you have the very best of my love?” Maggie asks.

“No,” Sydney answers. “But you can tell me now.” She flirts and sucks her inner cheek.

Maggie stops at what she is doing and walks slowly towards Sydney. Sydney senses it and she turns to face Maggie.

Maggie cups Sydney’s neck in both of her hands. She kisses Sydney on her forehead, her eyes, her nose and cheeks. She slides her lips along Sydney’s jaw, down her throat and up behind her ears.

“ _Hmmmmph...baby_ , _you turned me on_.” Sydney whispers tightly.

Sydney’s own hands sneaks under Maggie’s scrub top to stroke the warm soft skin underneath.

“Love is made for you and me,” Maggie whispers. Her warm breath heats Sydney up even more.

“I agree,” says Sydney softly and her fingers expertly unfasten Maggie’s bra to release Maggie’s breasts from the bondage. Her hands immediately slide to the front to find Maggie’s breasts hungrily.

“Sweetheart,” Maggie adds, her head getting giddy from Sydney’s caresses. “Since our offices are on the same floor, which office will likely be our common _meeting room_?”

“Anywhere that works for us, baby.” Sydney’s voice indicates that she is getting aroused.

“Maybe we stick to this room since here is where we first started. You know, for memory sake.” Maggie says again as she pulls her scrub top over her head and drops it together with her bra on the floor.

“Whatever you like sweetheart.” Sydney answers as she rushes to the door to make sure it is locked and she closes the window blinds to keep their private affair to themselves.

“I mean this couch; it has been our special spot from the very beginning….” Maggie’s words stop there as Sydney pulls her scrub top over her head and unfasten her bra to reveal the full pinkies peaks begging for Maggie’s kisses.

Sydney pushes Maggie gently onto the couch and then she sits on Maggie’s lap facing her with her breasts so close to Maggie’s mouth.

Maggie is loss for words all of a sudden. Hunger is evident on her wide eyes as they scan Sydney’s face, down her lips and ended on her breasts.

The amazed look on Maggie’s face draws the intoxicating throaty laugh from Sydney.

“Let’s not waste any more time talking, shall we?” Sydney says softly with amusement in her eyes.

Maggie just nods and dives for Sydney’s ripe apples ready for the plucking right in front of her.

…………………..

On another day….

“Smile..”

She still won’t budge.

“Smile..”

She bends her head even lower and look to the floor.

“Baby, smile for me, please.” Sydney says.

“I can’t. You are leaving me tomorrow and I’ll be lonely. What will I do without you?”

Sydney feels amused and shakes her head as she smiles to herself at how cute and sweet Maggie looks at that moment.

“I’ll just be gone for a week. It’s work. I’m not leaving you. You know that.”

Of course Maggie knows that. She understands Sydney has obligations to attend to. She even admires Sydney for her dedication towards the tasks given to her.

“We still can communicate daily.” Sydney tries again.

“But it won’t be the same as having you here,” Maggie pouts.

“I know. I feel the same way too. But I have to go, they need me. When the conference is over I’ll come home to you right away. I promise.” Sydney holds Maggie’s face up in her hands and kisses her lips.

Then she kisses Maggie’s teary eyes and wet cheeks all so gently and loving.

It makes Maggie misses her more.

“I miss you so much already,” she pouts between sniffs.

“Let’s go home,” Sydney says. "Let’s not waste the night away."

………………………………………………

It’s almost midnight.

The sound of kisses and sweet moans lingers in Sydney’s bedroom. Nothing else is heard except the sound of them loving the other.

Maggie chuckles and then drawls in the dark, “If I am a boy, you would be pregnant by now at the rate we are going.”

“If you are a boy, I won’t be sleeping with you,” Sydney teases.

Maggie keeps kissing her; on the face, the throat, down her chest and breasts. Her tongue plucks on Sydney’s nipples bringing out gasps from Sydney’s mouth.

“Do you miss men?” Sydney asks in between hisses and groans.

“No.” Maggie answers short.

“You have had relationships before. You are bound to remember them when we are together; make comparisons and all,” Sydney sounds a hint of jealous.

“I want only you. I desire only you.” Maggie whispers and kisses Sydney harder on her throat to make her point while she moves her body in erotic waves on top of Sydney.

“Why do you ask? Have you ever missed anyone else?” Maggie suddenly stops kissing Sydney and looks at Sydney in the eyes.

“No. I haven’t.” Sydney quickly says.

“Not that I have anyone else to compare to.” She adds and pretends to look sad.

Maggie catches on Sydney’s joke and tickles her.

“Don’t you dare find anyone else to compare while you are abroad.” Maggie says softly, suddenly her voice sounds serious while her hands keep roaming on Sydney’s skin.

“Baby, when I said I want you to be my only lover, I meant it with all my life.” Sydney answers softly, while locking gazes with Maggie.

“If you ever get tired of me, please let me be the first to know. Please tell me gently and be honest with me.” All of a sudden Sydney sounds so melancholy.

“What are you talking about? I want to grow old with you if I live that long.” Maggie’s voice comes out tightly.

“Really?”

‘ _Yeah_ ,” Maggie sniffs and kisses Sydney’s lips all so tender to seal her vow.

………………………………

 

On one of the many nights they are apart, Maggie stirs in bed. She can’t sleep.

She turns her head to look at the empty space at Sydney’s usual side of the bed.

She hugs Sydney’s goose down pillow and smells it deeply. Sydney’s pillow smells like her. Suddenly she misses Sydney so much that she cries into the pillow.

She reaches for her phone and texts Sydney.

‘ _I can’t sleep. I miss you so very much’_ ….

And she adds some cute crying faces to her texts.

Before Maggie could put her phone back on the bedside table, her phone rings.

“Hey baby,” …Sydney’s voice never sounds sweeter to Maggie’s ears.

“Guess what? I am coming home sooner than I expected. I am at the airport now and will be there tomorrow morning at 9 AM.”

“What? Really?” Maggie squeals in delight.

“Yeah. So get some sleep now so that you can fetch me from the airport tomorrow. Or will you be at the hospital tomorrow?” Sydney adds.

“No, no. I can fetch you tomorrow. I have your car keys remember.” Maggie can’t hide her excitement.

“So. I’ll see you tomorrow. Get some sleep now. Love you, sweetheart. Bye.” Sydney says as she ends the call.

Maggie could swear that after that she falls asleep with a big grin on her face until the morning.

…………………….

The next morning, Maggie reaches the airport at 8.30 AM. She can’t sleep in out of the bubbly excitement to meet her beloved.

She paces around in front of the arrival hall to relax some of the adrenaline rush she is feeling.

When she catches a glimpse of Sydney among the huge crowd moving out of the arrival hall, she rushes towards her with open arms and gives Sydney a huge bear hug.

They hug for a long while; oblivious to their surroundings.

When she lets go, she pulls Sydney to the side to embrace her more.

Sydney beats her to it when she cups her jaw and kisses her hard and deep as if her life depends on it. Both women feel like the deserts waiting for the rain, like the flowers waiting for the sunshine.

Sydney does not care that some staring eyes are on them. Neither is Maggie. She kisses back eagerly and holds Sydney tightly in her embrace.

“I missed you so much, sweetheart.” Sydney whispers between laboured breaths.

Maggie couldn’t say anything. She just nods and kisses Sydney all over her face again.

But then, she goes stiff all of a sudden.

Maggie’s eyes stare at a figure in the crowd walking towards them.

“I’ll see you at the hospital tomorrow, Sydney.”

Sydney turns towards the voice and nods.

It’s Lena Shebb!

“ _Good day, Dr. Lin_! Nice to see you again.”

And she walks to the taxi booth to get her ride.

Maggie is still nursing her sunken heart when she feels Sydney pulls her hard on her hand.

“Maggie, come on. Let’s go home. I can’t wait any longer.”


	26. Tell Me Where It Hurts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Unconsciously their love is put to the test

Maggie can’t help it. She doesn’t know why her heart is sulking all of a sudden when she saw Lena Shebb at the airport. Her eyes follow where Lena goes until she cannot be seen outside the airport anymore. The way Lena carries herself; looking so brilliant, so confident, so tall and so beautiful. Anyone would fall for her. She looks like someone amiable.

But why is her heart feeling blue? Maggie wonders. Is it because of something that Lena said to Sydney a while ago? Or is it the way Lena looked at the two of them when they embrace?

“ _Why is that woman affecting me so much_?” Maggie’s mind asks. The mere mention of her name can make her feel uneasy and insecure, what more when she appears in person like that.

“ _Why was she on the plane together with Sydney? Have they been spending time together? Did she go to the same conference with Sydney? And what is she doing here?_ ”

Her mind is still shooting questions away when she feels Sydney tugging again at her hand, her face looks concerned.

“Maggie…is everything okay?” Sydney asks worriedly.

“Err, yeah..,” Maggie lies as she blinks her eyes several times to bring her mind back to her surroundings. She does not want Sydney to know the turmoil in her mind.

She drops a quick kiss on Sydney’s lips and another one when Sydney asks her “You sure?” Maggie forces a smile but it looks faked. Sydney is not buying it but she smiles back anyway. Her eyes still shows her concerned heart.

“Shall we go..?” Maggie asks, averting her eyes. Her right hand reaches out to take Sydney’s luggage handle from her and start pulling. At the same time her left hand laces firmly with Sydney’s right hand as they walk together towards the airport’s entrance to find Sydney’s car at the parking lot.

Maggie opens the car booth and places the luggage inside. “Do you want to drive?” she asks Sydney as she dangles the car keys before Sydney.

Sydney shakes her head. “You drive. I feel my legs are still floating from the long flight.” Maggie nods, opens the driver’s door and slides behind the wheel.

From the passenger’s seat Sydney turns to look at Maggie and asks, “Silly me, I was so excited to see you I forgot to ask if you are going to the hospital right away?”

Maggie is actually dying to spend the morning with Sydney. She has been looking forward to this moment for a week now ever since Sydney left. She has even arranged with Billy; her resident, that she will take the morning off. But now her gloomy heart is telling her that she need not go through with her initial plan.

So instead she says “Umm, actually the candidates for the cancer study will register this morning. I put Billy in charge to settle them in and handle the documentations while I come and fetch you, but I need to go right after.” Maggie answers. She looks away quickly right before her nose twitches. That might give her away. She chastises herself for lying to Sydney.

“Ohh.” Sydney says and nods. She feels disappointed that she has to look away to hide it.

Maggie catches Sydney’s body language but her pride chooses to ignore it though she feels really torn inside.

“ _Why am I hurting the one person that I love the most_?” Maggie thinks. She is feeling horrible inside.

While her mind chastises herself, Maggie starts the car and drives out of the parking lot. She continues to keep her mind to herself and concentrates on her driving.

The sudden change in her beloved’s behaviour does not escape Sydney. Maggie was all warm, excited and affectionate when she welcomed her at the arrival hall about ten minutes ago. “ _So why this sudden change to casual_?” Sydney feels odd. She’s curious and she wants to find out why.

“ _Baby_ , is something bothering you?” Sydney prods carefully. Her hand reaches out and touches Maggie’s thigh. Maggie feels the sparks goes right to her belly and the butterflies inside flutter vigorously. How she misses that feeling that she almost cry. But she keeps it to herself, for now.

Instead, Maggie just shrugs her shoulders and keeps her eyes on the road.

“Can I have a couple of hours with you?” Sydney asks softly, hopefully.

Maggie glances quickly at Sydney and turns to look at the road again. She purses her lips but her eyes are smiling. She inhales deeply and exhales a long breath out to calm her nerve.

“I guess I could call Billy to tell him that I’ll be late. What do you have in mind?”

“I want to whisper secrets into your ears.” Sydney says shyly, looking at Maggie with her googly eyes. She clasps her hands tightly on her lap to fight the urge to caress Maggie’s soft cheek. To soothe the gloomy look away. But she doesn’t want to distract Maggie too much from her driving.

Maggie bites her lower lip and takes a deep breath again. Her heart flutters, her belly feel warm. Her core aches inside for release. Sydney always manages to say the right word to ignite her.

“ _Baby, I need you badly_ ,” Sydney adds shakily. She squeezes her legs tightly together as she says that. Her eyes scan Maggie all over with hungry looks. She misses every part of Maggie. She misses every touch from Maggie.

Maggie feels the looks that Sydney gives her could burn her right there and then. Maggie swallows thickly. She can feel her heart beating faster by the second. She turns to look at Sydney with burning eyes and she immediately regrets wasting their limited time together feeling gloomy and blue out of nothing (most probably). “ _And Sydney doesn’t even know it_ ,” she thinks.

“ _Me too_ ,” Maggie whispers. She reaches for Sydney’s hand and squeezes tightly. She brings Sydney’s hand to her lips and kisses it hard.

“I missed you every day in the past week. I feel I am living just to come home to you” Sydney breathes the words out.

 _Oh, how wonderful_. There are glitters in Maggie’s eyes as she looks at Sydney again. She tries very hard to hold back her tears but some stubborn ones escaped.

“I missed you so much that it hurts.” Maggie pouts. Her eyes are clearly teary now that she has to wipe the tears away with her sleeve.

“ _Hey_ , it’s okay. We are together again now.” It’s Sydney’s turn to lift Maggie’s hand to her lips and gives it a lingering kiss.

Sydney continues to place her hand on Maggie’s thigh as they continue their drive in silent for the remaining fifteen minutes.

As they approach Sydney’s apartment, she turns to Maggie and says “I’ll just need to drop the luggage, freshen up and change my clothes. Then we can take our brunch and go to the hospital together,” Sydney suggests.

“You are not tired?” Maggie asks her.

“Just a little bit. I managed to get some sleep on the plane. I need to do some planning and give some briefing later. Besides, I’ve been apart from you for far too long.” Sydney adds as she bashes a shy smile at Maggie.”

At that, Maggie smiles tenderly at Sydney in return.

She parks the car at Sydney’s usual spot and turns the engine off. Then she turns to Sydney and admits softly, “Actually brunch is not the main thing in my mind right now.”

…………….

Up in the apartment, Sydney quickly does the things that she needs to do. She freshens up and cleans herself quickly in the bathroom. Then she comes out of the bathroom in her soft thick bath robe and finds her way to the kitchen where Maggie is standing backing her by the counter looking outside the window while waiting for the water to come to boil.

The sight before her is suddenly so overwhelming for Sydney that she chokes. She stops on her steps to take in the beauty before her for a while longer.

Maggie is clearly deep in thoughts. But Sydney finds her so mesmerising and beautiful with the morning sun shining brightly on her smooth skin. She looks so at home as if she belongs here in her apartment. Sydney feels her heart warmed to the thought.

Then she walks slowly towards Maggie and hugs her from behind. Her hands wrap Maggie’s waist tightly and she rests her head on Maggie’s back, breathing deeply to take in Maggie’s scent that she missed so much.

Sydney turns her face towards Maggie’s neck and presses her lips there, giving it wet warm lingering kisses. Her hands move upwards to feel Maggie’s breasts, then without lifting them up she slides her hands downwards to Maggie’s belly, over her treasure and further down to her thighs.

Both women shudder as desire and arousal start to take over their bodies and emotion. Maggie’s heart beat faster that she has to take in deep breaths when she feels Sydney’s embrace. _Oh how delicious_.

“ _It’s been a while_ ,” Sydney whispers into Maggie’s ear.

“ _Mhmmmm_ ,” Maggie hums thickly as she turns around to face Sydney and takes her mouth sweetly and gently in her own open mouth.

Sydney cups Maggie’s neck to kiss her deeply, taking and giving at the same time.

As they continue to kiss, their minds soon become giddy and drunk with desire. Their ears are buzzing with arousal.

Soon Maggie finds her hands clumsily untie the knot of Sydney’s robe to see what is underneath. She groans with pleasure when her hands find only soft smooth bare skin underneath the robe. Maggie’s hands push the robe over Sydney’s shoulders and leave it spread on the floor around their feet.

Sydney is so naked and expose in Maggie’s arms right there in the kitchen. But that does not bother her at all. Her mind is so fixed to loving Maggie to the moon and back.

She reaches for the hem of Maggie’s shirt and pulls it over her head to reveal the soft skin she missed so much. She unstraps Maggie’s bra expertly and pile the bra on her robe and Maggie’s shirt.

Maggie’s hands stroke hungrily all over Sydney’s naked body. Squeezing and rubbing as she goes. Special attention paid to Sydney’s pinkish soft peaks that causes Sydney to groan and rubs her body closer to Maggie to feel her skin. She abandons Maggie’s mouth and sucks at her neck instead leaving wet trails as she goes. Maggie gasps aloud with clear pleasure.

But that’s not enough. They want more. They must have their fill or they will be miserable and frustrated.

Maggie takes the next step. She comes down a little, wraps her arms around Sydney just under her bottom and carries her up to herself like she would carry a child. Surprised by Maggie’s move, Sydney yelps in delight. But instinctively she wraps her legs around Maggie’s waist to stable them both.

Both women chuckle together as Maggie moves towards the bedroom. Sydney wraps her arms tightly around Maggie’s neck as she worries that Maggie would not stand her weight. But Maggie walks steadily for the two of them and brings them safely to the bed.

At the kitchen, the water has come to boil and the electric kettle switches off automatically. But neither of them cares about tea or coffee anymore; not until after huge waves hit their shores bringing sweet pleasure to them.

……………………

Sydney keeps bashing smiles at Maggie while they take their brunch at a café near Sydney’s apartment.

“Thank you.” she says softly. Her voice still hoarse from their _feel good_ time together just twenty minutes ago.

“For what,” Maggie asks. Her face still flushes and warm, her body still feel tingling all over.

“For sparing me a couple of hours.” Sydney answers.

Maggie swallows guiltily and quietly says, “I have a confession to make.”

“ _Ohh_..what’s that?” Sydney reaches for Maggie’s hand and squeezes. Whatever it is Sydney wants Maggie to know that they are together.

“I am sorry if I acted differently this morning. I don’t know if you noticed, but something, or rather someone _hit_ me unconsciously.”

“I noticed,” Sydney says, her eyes looking at Maggie ever so gently. “But I don’t know why though.”

Maggie calculates the next thing she’s going to say, careful not to upset Sydney unnecessarily. But she has to know. She has to put her puzzled mind to end.

“ _Mmm_...what is Lena Shebb doing here?” she asks almost inaudible, her head bend. She can’t look Sydney in the eyes.

‘ _So, that’s the reason_.’ Sydney thinks.

“She is here at the hospital’s invitation to share some new technics and findings from her research. She will collaborate with me on a case study that the CDC requires us to do. She may be around for two weeks or more; depending on how it goes.” Sydney explains as plain as possible, careful not to brush over any sore spot in Maggie’s already sore opinion of Dr. Lena Shebb.

Sydney reaches across the table and takes both of Maggie’s hands in hers.

“Sweetheart, please tell me what’s been bothering you. Please let me in,” Sydney pleads.

Gazing at and fidgeting with Sydney’s fingers in her hands, Maggie shrugs her shoulders and lets out a long nervous breath.

With a sigh, Maggie says “I wasn’t jealous before I met you. But now I feel every woman that comes near you is a potential threat to me, to our relationship. Nurse Nora, Dr Shebb, anyone, well especially Dr. Shebb.”

“Why Dr. Shebb?” Sydney prods carefully.

“I don’t know, there is something about her that makes me feel so insecure, so jealous. As if I could feel that she is after you, even though she knows we are together. I just have this uneasy feeling about her. Even the mere mention of her name would give me a bad mood. Just like this morning. I was so excited and happy to see you, and then she had to come over in the middle of our embrace to ruin the moment.” Maggie says in length, almost hissing as she goes while trying to keep her voice down.

Maggie could swear if she is a dragon, Sydney would see her eyes turn into green and hot smoke comes out of her nostrils out of anger.

Sydney bites her lower lip and nods a few times to show Maggie that she understands her predicament. She’s not sure what to say to Maggie, fearing she might say the wrong thing.

Sydney loves Maggie so much with her life. She does not want Maggie to continue feeling hurt, but Lena is all about work. She is feeling torn in between. She has got to make Maggie believe that they are solid; that nothing and no one could come between them, no matter what.

So, before she says anything, Sydney pulls Maggie in and kisses her lips over their plates.

“The greatest thing to me is to love and be loved in return.” Sydney quotes a beautiful song she has learnt to love ever since they dated.

“Maggie baby, with every hug and every kiss, you make me fall deeper in love with you. I’m so into you. You must know that. I don’t want anybody else. If it is not you, there will be no one else for me. Believe me. ” She adds.

“I am sorry if I hurt you, if I make you feel unloved or second best. Never ever think that I don’t love you or that I don’t want you, because I do, with my life. _Okay_?” Sydney says almost pleading.

Her eyes seek Maggie’s desperately. When their eyes lock, hot tears sneak out from the corners of their eyes.

Maggie nods her head profusely without saying a word. “I love you so much,” she mouthed, her lips quiver.

Sydney feels a sudden pain in her heart that she opens her arms and embraces Maggie from her seat. Both women cry in silent for a few minutes, oblivious to their surroundings. Luckily, they chose a secluded table at the far end of the café for some privacy.

When they gain their composure, Sydney tries to joke to lighten the mood. “As a song goes, _don’t go wasting your emotion, lay all your love on me_.”

Maggie can’t help but chuckles. She knows that Sydney is trying to cheer her up.

“I am sorry for being such a baby.” Maggie says.

“I am sorry too for failing to see how much this is hurting you. I promise I’ll be better.” Sydney says in return.


	27. Jealousy Don’t Taste Good At All

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What will it take to make her believe?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's getting harder to end this story.  
> At one hand, it's hard to say goodbye.  
> On another hand I don't want the chapters to be too long.  
> But either way, I hope you will have a pleasant read.  
> Thank you for giving this story a chance.

“So, I’ll see you for lunch?” Sydney smiles while talking on the phone. She is leaning on the edge of her desk while looking at the sweet note that Maggie sticks on her office door while she was at the ward. It reads ‘ _While you were gone I missed you_ ’.

“Okay, I miss you too sweetheart. Bye.” Sydney is still grinning from ear to ear as she ends the call with Maggie.

“ _What will I do without you?_ ” Sydney says softly to herself as she gazes at Maggie’s picture in her phone, smiling sweetly back at her.

A soft tap on the door makes her head jerks up. Lena’s head sneaks from behind the door. She smiles. Sydney smiles back and motions her to enter the room.

“Hmm..I see you are smiling at the phone… _Dr. Lin_?” Lena guesses.

Sydney nods and says, “ _Yeah_.” She is blushing from shyness at being caught.

“I’m sorry, I may have overheard you talking on the phone from behind the door. I waited until you said goodbye before I knocked.” Lena confesses.

“It’s alright.” Sydney says calmly, but she can’t help feeling uneasy that her privacy with Maggie is being intruded.

“You truly love her don’t you?” Lena tries to prod gently. She is now looking at Sydney’s face.

“Have you ever been so in love that you feel you can touch the moonlight?” Sydney asks Lena back with her eyes dreamy from thinking of Maggie.

“I envy her.” Lena sighs as she takes a seat in one of the chairs in front of Sydney’s desk.

“If only I have someone to call me sweetheart too.” She adds jokingly and gives Sydney a quick glance before looking away.

Sydney is now blushing all the way to her neck. She is not use to talking about romantic matters with anyone else other than Maggie; except that one time with Neshema. Even so, Sydney and Maggie have not actually use endearments with each other openly in the hospital to avoid too much public display of affections.

Sydney licks her lips inwardly. She is careful to avert her eyes and she cautions herself to avoid talking about matters that are too personal with Lena. She reminds herself to stick to pure professional topics with the other star doctor. She remembers how upset Maggie was a week ago when she fetched Sydney from the airport and saw Lena there.

Lena was attending the same conference as Sydney the week before. Them being on the same flight back to Toronto was not planned. Lena has made a last minute change to her flight schedule and flew in to Toronto in the same plane with Sydney instead of taking the original flight a day after. They didn’t sit at the same row though. Sydney made sure of that. She just didn’t want to stir any wrong idea from Lena.

The CDC has teamed them up to study on a recent outbreak of disease that causes premature labour in the southern countries. The two star doctors have been working very close with each other since the past one week and their project is moving right on track. They have rallied the residents to help out in the study and at the same time they get to learn new technics and findings first hand from Dr. Shebb. An opportunity like that is hard to come by and the residents were excited when they first received their assignments.

“You know Sydney, after our last encounter at The Ritz, I can’t help myself. I got to see you again.” Lena speaks calmly but with confidence, bringing Sydney’s mind to attention.   

The room fell into silence for a moment. They stare at each other for a few seconds until their eyes hurt and they remember to blink.

Sydney clears her throat and shifts her sitting position on her chair. She grabs a case file in front of her and opens it to hide her uneasiness.

When Sydney doesn’t say a word, Lena leans forward and adds softly, “After a week working close with you, my feeling is getting stronger. I know this is a long shot and maybe it will remain only as my wish but…. I wish I am her, so that you might look at me the way you look at her.”

By now, Lena’s face too has turn to red.

Sydney just stares at her, disbelief is clear in her wide eyes. She’s speechless and her face turns pale, she can’t find the correct word to say to the other doctor. Lena is obviously waiting for Sydney to say something back.

“Sydney…say something, anything.” Lena whispers, her eyes searching for Sydney’s.

“I….I don’t know what to say,” Sydney manages to whisper back at last as she blinks her eyes and shakes her head several times as if to shake the awkward air between them right now.

“I’m sorry for blurting it out. But I just need to let you know. I need to get it out from my chest, you know. This feeling has been eating me from inside ever since I lay eyes on you.” Lena says.

“I know you and Dr. Lin are dating, I know that. But at least now you know how I really feel about you,” she adds.

Sydney rubs her face with both of her hands, takes in a deep breath and exhales.

When she feels calm again she says, “I…I really appreciate that Lena. And I really appreciate your feelings too. But, Maggie and I, we are solid. My whole heart is filled by her that I am sure there is not even room for myself in there anymore.” Sydney huffs and gives Lena a small smile.

“But I hope we can continue to work on this project as the professionals that we are and get the results out on time.” Sydney says contritely as she touches on their work platform.

Lena purses her lips, she nods and smiles sheepishly as she says, “Well, I guess a girl has to try somehow, right?”

Sydney tilts her head and gives Lena a genuine friendly smile.

“You are a wonderful person Lena, not to mention a very accomplished one too. You will find the right person one day, I am sure of it.” Sydney says softly, looking gently at Lena.

Lena just smiles and shrugs. “Maybe I will.” She adds. Sydney nods and looks away. It feels really awkward, she is sure Lena too is feeling awkward at that point.

They let their minds wonder in silent for a minute or so while they look aimlessly at the things that Sydney has on her desks.  

When Sydney feels that the silence is getting too much, she abruptly says, “Well…shall we go, Doctor?”

“Yes, Doctor” Lena says abruptly too as she springs to her feet and goes to stand in the middle of the room with both hands shoved into her lab coat pockets.

Sydney too gets on her feet, grabs the case files and motions for Lena to lead the way out of her room.

On their way to the elevator, Sydney turns sideways towards Maggie’s dark office. Her eyes catches Maggie’s name on the door.

DR. MAGGIE LIN, MD

She smiles to herself. It’s amazing that her heart warms up by merely passing by Maggie’s office and reading her name.

In the elevator, as they both wait in silent, Sydney takes her phone out and texts Maggie.

“I miss you Maggie, I always miss you.”    

…………………….

Maggie grins to herself and bites her lower lip when she reads Sydney’s text. In return, she replies Sydney’s text with some smooches emoticons.

“Erhmm..” Billy clears his throat. “Are you and the Chief having something going on, Dr Lin?”

“Mind your own business Billy.” Maggie jokingly scowls at him.

“ _Okay_ …” Billy lifts up both hands in front of him mocking a defeat. But he knows Maggie is only joking. They have been working together day and night, shift in and shift out on the cancer patients’ project. Maggie has been a very helpful but stern mentor to Billy, just like Sydney has been to Maggie.

“Dr. Lin, I spoke to Bree earlier. She seems to be having a problem with her girlfriend. She has never come back after she admitted Bree in for the project.” Billy explains as they walk towards Bree’s room.

“ _Hmmm_..a matter of the heart, hard to say.” Maggie answers softly.

“Hey Bree, how are we doing today?” Maggie calls out as cheerful as she can be.

“The usual, Dr.Lin.” Bree answers weakly, but her eyes lights up when she sees Maggie. She pulls herself up and leans on the pillows at her back.

“Don’t stress yourself up, just take in each day at a time and look forward to the good times.” Maggie says as she come closer to Bree’s bed, trying to cheer her up.

“The only thing I am looking forward to everyday is meeting you.” Bree says softly that only Maggie could hear her.

Maggie looks at Bree’s face. Their eyes meet for a second. Bree has beautiful eyes, though she has lost the glimmer due to her sickness.

Maggie takes a deep breath and exhales. This is not the first time a patient has made a pass at her. Maggie turns her head to look at Billy and he gives her a knowing expression.

“Hang in there, okay. We will make your stay here as comfortable as possible. Dr. Scott here will make sure of that.” Maggie turns to Bree again.

Bree looks disappointed but she tries to smile.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, but in the mean time you can call us if you need anything.” Maggie says and she turns towards the door. But her steps freeze when Bree grabs her hand.

Bree wants to tell Maggie that she likes her and that her heart is hooked by Maggie’s charm and kindness, alas the only thing that comes out of her mouth is a soft “ _Thank you_.”

Maggie smiles gently at her and squeezes Bree’s hand. “You’re welcome,” Maggie says back to her.

Billy too smiles at Bree before he follows his mentor out of the room.

“What was that all about?” Billy asks as quiet as he can as he falls into steps with Maggie’s long strides.

“What was what?” Maggie asks him back.

“The whispering and the hand squeezing?” Billy asks again.

“Oh..that. That is called doctor-patient confidentiality.” Maggie answers as she walks fast towards the nurse’s station not willing to answer any more awkward question from Billy.

Maggie is glad when her phone receives a text from Sydney. Then Billy will have no choice but to leave her alone, for now.

Maggie signs some forms for the nurse and gives Billy new instructions for Bree and the other patients in their case study.

When she is satisfy that Billy understands all her instructions she turns towards the hallway as says “Now if you will excuse me, I am late for my lunch date.”

……………………..

Earlier on, Sydney and Maggie have texted.

Syd : _Maggie, want to grab something to eat? I am starving._

Mags : _I am still busy here sweetheart, you know the cancer patient project_.

Syd : _Okay. In that case I’ll go with Dr. Shebb_.

Mags : _No..no..! I think I’ll get Billy to do this for me. Where are you at? I am famished too_.

Syd : _I am at the x-ray lab. Meet me here_.”

 

Sydney is not alone in the lab. As usual, Lena has been by her side since the past one week.

Maggie is almost skipping as she hums and strides towards the lab room.

In the lab, Sydney and Lena are looking at an x-ray sheet from a patient in connection to their study.

As Sydney clips up the x-ray sheet against the light at the wall, Lena comes behind her to look closer at the x-ray. They both discuss as they scan the x-ray thoroughly with their expert eyes. Sydney furrows her eyebrows looking seriously in deep thought. Lena however can’t help but is distracted by standing so close to Sydney. She is so distracted that she does not realise she has got a little too close until her chest touches Sydney’s back and her chin almost leaning on Sydney’s head. They are so engross with the object of their study that they don’t realise Maggie is already there, watching them at the back.

Maggie’s jealous heart gives a loud protesting thud.

She stands freeze at the doorway with wide eyes. She doesn’t know what to do; whether to disrupt them or to turn away and go quietly with her angry jealous heart. She clenches her fists in her pockets as she feels her chest heaves in heavy breaths.

As if her radar senses Maggie’s presence, Sydney turns her head towards the door behind her and sees that Maggie is already there looking alarmed and shocked. Then she looks at Lena. Only then Sydney realises that Lena has been standing so close behind her the whole time they were looking at the x-ray together. Sydney quickly steps away and moves towards Maggie.

“Hey baby. How long have you been standing here?” Sydney asks softly unsure whether she should be asking that question at all.

Maggie bends her head as she pretends to look at her feet. She tries to control her shaking nerve.

“ _Long enough_.” Maggie hisses quietly between clenched teeth as she gives a sharp glare at Lena from the corner of her eyes.

Sydney follows Maggie’s eyes and quickly turns back at Maggie.

“It’s not what you think.” Sydney quickly explains, her eyes pleading.

“ _No..? Because that’s what it seems from where I stand,_ ” Maggie lashes out, almost sarcastically.

“No, it is not.” Sydney says firmly but gently. She knows Maggie is upset. She would be upset too if she was in Maggie’s shoes.

Sydney quickly thinks of a way to make Maggie believe her.

“Come with me.” She grabs Maggie’s arm and pulls her out of the x-ray lab. She continues to pull Maggie around the corner and into an empty on-call room. She locks the door and turns to reach for Maggie.

“Maggie, I am so sorry that you are upset. I didn’t realise she was standing so close behind me. I was focusing at the x-ray sheet and so was she. Trust me there is nothing else going on. I made sure of it.”

Maggie huffs and bends her head to look at the floor as she crosses her arms over her chest. Quietly she replies Sydney with a hint of scorn.

“I forgot Jewish women tend to be very passionate with whatever they have in their _hands_.”

Sydney feels dejected. She massages her forehead with her left hand as she looks at Maggie with worried and pleading eyes. Sydney is trembling from raking nerves by now. She can feel her eyes starts to tear up. Maggie is obviously so angry at her and she can’t take it.

Maggie can see that and she starts to regret saying what she has said to Sydney.

Maggie knows she can be as stubborn as a mule and fierce as a dragon when she feels her rights are invaded and her opinion belittled. But to not believe in Sydney after all that has happened between them, after what they have shared together, that is quite absurd. She realises that.

“Tell me what should I do to make you believe me? I’ll do anything.” Sydney says with teary eyes as her last resort. She bends her head and wipes her tears with her hands.

Maggie bites her lips as she feels her own eyes tears up. She feels really sorry and regrets making Sydney cry.

“ _Kiss me_.” Maggie whispers.

Sydney looks up immediately and searches Maggie’s eyes to see if she heard correctly.

“ _Kiss me, Syd._ ” Maggie whispers again.

“ _Ohhh_ ….” Sydney gasps, she cups Maggie's jawline and she plants deep long kiss into Maggie’s mouth. They both kiss back hungrily; out of anger, out of regret, out of apologies, out of forgiveness and out of love.

“Don’t do that again. Don’t give your heart away when we are apart.” Maggie whispers in between sobs as they rest their foreheads on each other, arms wrap tightly around the other.

Sydney nods profusely, “I would never” she whispers back. “My heart belongs to you, I have only you in my heart. You must believe me.”

Maggie nods too. “I am sorry, for feeling jealous, for feeling angry, for saying the Jewish women thing,” she says.

Sydney gives a small chuckle and teases “I have no choice. I am Jewish by birth.”

At that they both chuckle. They gaze at each other’s eyes again and move to meet in the middle for more kisses and hugs until they really feel relaxed and composed.

Twenty minutes later, they find themselves wiping the tears stains from each other’s face, give the other one more kiss and make their way to the cafeteria for their much delayed lunch.


	28. Not Ever Letting Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They must hold on tight and be there for one another. The work out for the Run starts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I missed them when I don't write about them. I am sorry for the long wait. How have you all been? Fine I hope. This chapter is short, but I am trying my best. Picks up right where I left you at the last chapter.

As they eat their lunches quietly facing each other at their favourite small table at the far end of the cafeteria they only converse through their eyes when they exchange looks at each other. Both doctors still feel a little tired from their earlier emotional battle.

Sydney is extra worried and cautious. She does not want anything to change between Maggie and her. Maggie is so precious to her, she is one in a million for her. She is so sure of that and nothing will change that for her.

Sydney can’t stand the silence. She braves herself to break the spell.

“I don’t want to lose your love Maggie. I don’t want anything to change between us.” She says softly, looking at Maggie with pleading eyes.

Maggie looks up from her food and blinks. Her mind is clearly somewhere else.

“What makes you say that suddenly?” she asks.

“You are quiet and seemed distance.” Sydney explains.

“Sorry…I was just thinking.” Maggie answers quietly and looks down at her food again.

“Want to share what’s in your mind?” Sydney asks, taking a bite at her salad sandwich.

Maggie looks up, with a slow blink she gives a small smirk and softly asks, “You really want to know?”

Sydney’s heart gives a hiccup. Maggie is doing it again. She can really rattle whatever confidence Sydney thinks that she has.  

“Mhmmm” Sydney nods and tries to stay calm but her deep inhale and exhale tell otherwise.

Maggie leans closer across the table and drawls softly, “ _I_ …was actually _thinking_ about you.” The way she breathes deeply tells Sydney that there is more to this _thinking_.

“ _About me_?” Sydney pretends not to be affected but her blushing cheeks and alarmed voice give her away.

Maggie looks at her tenderly, sucks the corner of her inner lip and straightens her sitting position. She crosses her arms on the table and rubs her forearms with her hands.

Sydney knows that body language by now.

“ _I._..want to feel warm with you in bed,” Maggie whispers, she is doing that googly eyes again as she gazes into Sydney’s eyes. Her eyes slowly scan Sydney’s face and stop at Sydney’s full lips.

Sydney closes her eyes and swallows thickly. Her heart is doing the flip again that she has to breathe deeply for more air.

“ _Come home with me tonight_..?” Sydney whispers shakily with pleading eyes at Maggie. The last time they were together was two nights ago as their projects and different shifts came in between.

Maggie bites her lower lip this time. She always does that whenever Sydney makes her feel romantic inside. She gazes lovingly at Sydney.

“I want nothing else, but I’m on duty tonight.” Maggie breathes out her lament.

There is hurt in Sydney’s eyes momentarily. But she shakes it off quickly since she always advised her staffs to be dedicated in their jobs and she understands that. She nods weakly instead with her head bend.

But, Maggie saw that hurt before it was gone.

She rubs her palms on her thighs and winks as she says “I’ll see if I can switch with Billy tonight.” That makes Sydney smiles behind pursed lips. Maggie feels glad that Sydney seems to take it well. Sydney is after all her Red Chief.

“ _Okay_ …” Sydney mouthed with smiling eyes.

As they are almost done with their lunches, Maggie’s phone makes a _ping_ sound notifying incoming text.

“It’s Billy. I have a patient waiting.” Maggie says.

“Let’s go.” Sydney is already on her feet before Maggie finishes replying to Billy’s text.

………………

It is four o’clock in the afternoon by the time Maggie finishes her consultation with her patient, Shelby Hart who is in her seventh month pregnancy.

Maggie decides to text Sydney right away.

_“Hey Syd, do you mind if I hit the gym for an hour before we go home? I need to start working out for next week’s CIBC Run for The Cure.”_

Ping!

“That was fast”. Maggie quips to herself.

“ _I’ll join you at six.”_ Sydney texts back.

“ _See you there_.” Maggie ends their texts.

 

Maggie changes to her work out gears as fast as she could to get her one hour work out done with. She can’t wait to go home with Sydney.

As Maggie approaches the hospital’s gym facility, she hears fast footsteps coming towards her and Sydney calls out to her from behind.

“Maggie..!”

Maggie turns immediately. Sydney too has changed to her work out gears. She has tied her hair into a cute ponytail which exposes her delicate neck. One of Maggie’s eyebrows rises in approval as her eyes drink in the beautiful sight before her.

Sydney walks faster towards Maggie. Due to her small size she has learnt to walk in double pace to keep up with people with longer strides when they walk together.

“Hey..!” Maggie greets her with a smile.

“I didn’t know you signed up for the Run. Why all of a sudden?” Sydney asks.

“ _Yeah_...it just happened. I kind of just decided. With all the cancer patients and me feeling worried about _you know who_ being around you twenty four seven, I feel I need to release some steam. Good thing this Run comes up.” Maggie says in serious tone, but her nose twitches as she goes.

Sydney frowns and gives a worried look at Maggie. “Are you still thinking about that?”

Maggie tries to keep her charade for as long as she can, but her raised eyebrow and twitched nose give her away. That makes Sydney furrows her eyebrows deeper and challenges Maggie with a questioning stare that Maggie has to giggle.

Maggie places both of her hands on Sydney’s shoulders and gives in, “It’s for my patient actually, Shelby Hart.”

“What about her?” Sydney asks as they start to walk into the gym and head for the treadmills.

“She has been running for this cause ever since it was started in support of her sister who contracted breast cancer. And now that she is seven months pregnant she needs a medical consent to join the run. Since I am her doctor she asked for my consent. I told her she can’t run this round. But she was adamant. So, I had to bargain with her to walk for one kilometre instead and only if I join her to make sure she’s fine.” Maggie explains.

“Besides, it’s for a good cause and I get to donate my sponsors’ money to charity as well.” Maggie adds with a brilliant smile. Sydney loves that smile. She feels proud of Maggie for willing to go the extra mile for her patient.

Sydney nods and rewards Maggie with a brilliant smile of her own. “Well, I’ll support you wherever I can and I’ll cheer for the _three_ of you at the starting point and the finishing line. I might even chip in your sponsors’ list.”

“Yesss!” Maggie pumps both of her fists and they both laugh.

“So, what song should we run to?” Sydney asks as she starts her treadmill. There are only the two of them in the gym at that moment. A vibrant music would be good to set the running pace for them.

“How about Mariah Carey’s _Make It Happen_?” Maggie asks without looking up as she goes through her playlist.

“Sounds great!” Sydney agrees.

“Let’s do this!” Maggie pumps her fists again naughtily and Sydney can’t help but shakes her head as she laughs that intoxicating throaty laugh of hers. Maggie is definitely her sunshine, her moonlight, her air and her rain, and she loves her to the moon and back.


	29. Lost In You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I close my eyes, the moment I surrender to you, let love be blind, innocent and tenderly true, so lead me through tonight, but please turn out the light, 'cause I'm lost every time I look at you.  
> Whisper softly what it means to be with me, that every moment when we're apart feels like a lifetime of longing in my heart.”  
> (Every Time I Look At You – Il Divo)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for waiting for my updates, though I have to apologise for being too slow in coming up with this new chapter. I want you to know that I really appreciate my readers and I feel a sense of responsibility in creating something worth your time and attention.  
> I hope this is not too bad though it is a short one.

That night at Sydney’s apartment after dinner and showers, both ladies feel relaxed and leisure going through their emails before bed time, each facing their own laptops with hand phones in hands.

Dinner was simple but pleasant and warm. They bought take outs at the café nearby and they sat opposite each other at Sydney’s kitchen counter. They shared their food comprises of spaghetti, pizzas and meat balls. The two doctors chatted and joked over food and wine. Occasionally they fed and kissed each other lovingly when the temptation was too hard to resist. Their work outs earlier at the gym have brought out quite the appetite in them.

When they have cleaned up the dishes and tidied up the kitchen, Maggie gingerly invited Sydney to share the shower with her ( _to save time she said, but that’s not entirely true_ ) but Sydney was still feeling uncomfortable and modest with the idea of being fully nude in the bathroom with another nude person, though that person is her lover. So she declined shyly at Maggie’s invitation.

“Maybe next time,” Sydney said softly while stealing a glance from the corner of her eyes at the already cloth less Maggie in the bathroom with the door ajar.

And now Sydney is sitting at her home desk facing the wall and looking so immerse in whatever she is reading on her laptop. Her bun sits proudly at the back of her head and it always makes her look elegant and professional that way even when she is at home. Of course Sydney doesn’t feel that way about how she looks, but Maggie sure does. And it is making it hard for her to concentrate.

Maggie chooses to sit on the couch with her laptop on the coffee table but her eyes keeps glancing up to look at Sydney. She admires Sydney’s stealth like concentration when it comes to any task at hand. And at the moment Sydney’s eyebrows are furrowed in deep thought as her fingers type speedily on the keyboard.

When Maggie is done with her emails, she decides it is time for bed. Her feet do feel a little sore from the running she did at the gym earlier that evening. She shuts her laptop down and inserts it into her backpack. Getting up, she turns quietly towards Sydney’s direction instead of straight to the bedroom to say good night.

“What are you working on?” Maggie drawls softly from behind, her mouth is so close to Sydney’s left ear.

Sydney who is caught off guard has to catch her breath from the startle that Maggie caused her.

“Oh, I am going through this result that Lena emailed me so that she can continue with the next phase,” Sydney explains softly without turning her head. She doesn’t have to. She knows Maggie is leaning very close behind her; she can smell her soft scent and feel the warm sweet breath from Maggie’s nostrils on her cheek.

“You can have a look; who knows this might be your expertise one day.” Sydney invites.

“Mhmmm,” is all that Maggie replies, her eyes looking at the screen that Sydney is working on.

“It’s alright. I don’t want to be in the way. I just want to say good night.” Maggie adds.

“You won’t be in the way, Maggie.” Sydney says, turning her face slightly to look at Maggie with her smiling eyes.

“Still a lot to go? Will you be long?” Maggie drawls again, her lips nibbling gently at Sydney’s earlobe.

“ _Mmmm_.., just the final part now then it’s done,” Sydney answers under thick breaths. Her eyes staring at the screen without exactly making sense of what she is reading. Maggie really has a way with her.

“Am I distracting you? Or should I go to bed first… _alone_?” Maggie's drawl sounds huskier.

Sydney knows Maggie is teasing and tempting her.

“This is not fair, you know what you are doing to me, baby. And _I_ will feel lonely here if you go to bed first after you do that to me.” Sydney teases back.

“And, _I_ will feel lonely in bed too if I go to bed alone,” Maggie chuckles softly.

“Then stay and keep me company for a bit more?” Sydney asks.

“Okay, as long as you allow me to do as I wish,” Maggie dares her.

“So long you keep the distraction at minimum level..” Sydney laughs throatily.    

“You have my word, Dr Katz,” Maggie breathes warmly and leaves trails of kisses on Sydney’s cheek and jawline.

But Maggie is not very good at keeping her word at that very moment, not with the arousal that is warming up in her belly and in between her thighs. Her hands keep rubbing on Sydney’s shoulders and neck as she craves the skin contact.

At the same time, Sydney tries very hard to keep her focus and get her review done. Her fingers tap smoothly on her keyboard. She hit the ‘send’ button and her email goes across to Lena’s inbox. But she doesn’t get up from her chair just yet. Her hands are still on her keyboards though not doing anything but at full body pause mode. She is enjoying Maggie’s proximity so much and silently she wishes that Maggie will continue whatever that she is doing earlier on.    

When Maggie sees that Sydney has sent out the email, she knows it is okay to further her sultry _exploration_. She turns her nose towards the nape of Sydney’s exposed delicate neck and traces Sydney’s skin with the tip of her nose. She inhales Sydney’s sweet soft scent deeply it makes her shudder a little. Her lips open up and leave wet kisses on any exposed skin on Sydney’s neck. She is careful not to suck too hard and leave any love bite though, knowing that will not be good for Sydney.

Sydney closes her eyes as her hands still freeze on top of her keyboard. Her chest heaves in heavy breathes. Her mind floats to the clouds and she can’t feel her feet anymore. Her laptop is forgotten and all she can feel is Maggie’s hands sliding down onto her chest from the low opening of her loose shirt. Maggie’s long fingers gently and sensually lay claim on Sydney’s ample bosom; gently massaging and rotating her palms on each peak bringing the tips to firm.

Moans escape both ladies’ mouths as they feel the rising heat and tremble in each other’s body. Sydney’s left arm raises to stroke Maggie’s head and her right hand has to squeeze Maggie’s thigh for support as Maggie’s warm mouth leaves trails of kisses on her shoulder blade, up behind her ears, down the sides of her neck. _Ohh…the feeling!_

Warm smooth wetness gushes out between their legs as their bodies craves for more touches.

Sydney closes her laptop and slowly turns her head to meet Maggie’s. The sultry looks that they see on each other’s faces heighten the arousal that they are already feeling inside. Their open mouths crash on each other in hot kisses; sucking and licking, taking and giving, fierce and tender at the same time.

Sydney uses what little strength that she still has to get up and cling unto Maggie’s body; her arms tightly wraps around Maggie’s neck as Maggie’s arms encircle her tightly around her waist bringing their bodies to flush together.

Without letting go of each other’s mouth, their hands start to venture over the curves of the other; stroking and squeezing as they go.

“ _Ohh_..you feel so wonderful,” Maggie whispers into Sydney’s mouth during the brief break that they need to catch more air in.

Gazing lovingly at Maggie while still holding her tight to her body, Sydney whispers back, “Loving you has been my sweetest and boldest fantasy.” She arches and rubs her body into Maggie’s curves for emphasise.

“That is the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me,” Maggie says, her eyes blink away some emotional tears.

Sydney pulls her again for hot kisses laced beautifully with deep emotions between them. Truly, they have never felt that deep and that significant about anyone else in their lives before, though they are not so sure about what the future will be for them.

As their moans and kissing battles heighten, they do not realise that somehow they have managed to shuffle towards the bedroom and undress the other gently without ripping anything.

Maggie manages to switch the bedroom light off on their way in to add some privacy to their love making and knowing neither one of them would want to get up again when sleep finally catches on them…. _after several hours through midnight that is_.

…………………………..

The sunrise is peeping through the curtain when both women stirs in bed still wrap around in each other’s arms.

“Hey…” Maggie whispers, as her half closed eyes gaze lazily at Sydney’s sleepy face.

“Hey…” Sydney whispers back. She comes close to Maggie’s face and kisses her mouth.

An open mouth greets another open mouth, and they lock in soft moist kisses for several minutes before they break up for air.

“You were wonderful last night.” Sydney says as she caresses the side of Maggie’s jaw with her thumb.

“And you were gorgeously beautiful…” Maggie breaths her reply as she pulls Sydney tighter into her body. All her limbs wrap all of Sydney’s body wherever possible to bring her as close as possible.

“I love you, Sydney Katz.” Maggie declares with all the love she if feeling in every vein of her being.

Sydney’s eyes soften all the more and her heart sings with joy.

“I love you more that you’ll ever know, Maggie Lin.” Sydney declares with all the conviction that she can possibly summon at that moment.


	30. Out of the Closet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Betrayal of a daughter…according to a mother. Unconditional love...according to a lover.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is so hard to write. It took me so long to put it together. And this stressful chapter still has more to deal with.  
> (Song : Seduces Me by Celine Dion)

After they got out of bed, Maggie goes for a twenty minutes run around the block of Sydney’s apartment since their shift will only start mid-day. After completing her second round, she stops by the café nearby to pack them some breakfast. She’s getting them banana pancakes, banana muffins (their favourite) and some half boiled eggs. Sydney has volunteered to prepare coffee at home; well, Sydney’s home really ( _for now_ ).

While Maggie is out running and buying breakfast, Sydney makes a phone call to her mother, Shiri Katz, to ask how things are at home, like she usually does. She is very close to her mother and sister. They talk about casual stuff, sharing jokes and updating each other on what’s going on with each other’s side of the world. They talk leisurely and lovingly until Sydney’s mother brings up Hershel.

Sydney’s mother asks her what she thinks about Hershel. Sydney goes silent for some five seconds before she says something.

“I have nothing personal against him, _Ima_ , it’s just that he is not the right person for me and I am not the right person for him,” Sydney says. 

“How do you know, you haven’t even met him?” her mother replies. 

Sydney goes silent again, this time she has to take deeper breaths as her heart starts to pound in her chest out of nervousness and panic. Her mother bringing up this question caught her off guard. She is not prepared to talk about this man with her mother. That was not her intention when she called her mother this morning. Her head starts to throb at her temple and she looks around the house for some kind of support, as if the things in the house could back her up on what to say next to her mother. 

But then she thinks perhaps this is the best time to break it to her mother. She can never be fully ready to talk to her family about this and there will never be a perfect timing. But she will have to do it eventually, sooner or later, so why not use this moment. “It is now or never, this is my chance,” she thinks. 

She has to do it for herself and for Maggie. She cannot hold Maggie in the closet forever; it is not fair to her. 

Then Sydney inhales deeply before she starts. 

“ _Ima_ , I love you so much, I love _Abba_ very much and I love Rivka so much too.” Sydney says quietly. 

“But…I can’t be with any man,” she adds after slowly. 

Her mother becomes very quiet at the other end of the line. No sound of breathing, not even a quiet sigh. 

Sydney’s heart beats even faster as she braces herself for her mother’s reaction. Surely her father and sister will hear about this from her mother later on. And she dreads to think how her father would react. He is the most responsible and loving father in Sydney’s eyes. But he is also the strictest and sure can be the fiercest man Sydney has ever known in her life. 

Hurting the woman who brought her to this world, nursed her and nurtured her, and the man who raised and helped her to be the successful person that she is today is so unbearable. 

But her sweet Maggie; she can’t lose her, she won’t. She will lose herself if that ever happens.

“ _Ima…._ , are you still there?” Sydney asks nervously. There is still silent for a whole two seconds. 

Then Sydney hears her mother sighs and takes a deep breath. 

“Can you tell me the reason?” she asks dangerously quiet at last. 

Sydney swallows hard. She is grateful she is not talking face to face with her mother at this moment for she is not sure if she would be able to look at her mother in the eyes. 

“I…I am…” Sydney can’t say the word out. 

‘You are..?” her mother presses. 

“ _Ima_ ,..I am different,” Sydney tries. 

“What do you mean?” her _Ima_ asks again. 

Sydney takes a deeper breath and says almost in a whisper, “I like girls, _Ima.”_

There! I said it! Sydney says in her mind. 

A minute goes by silently. 

Sydney does not know how her mother screwed her eyes shut and her lips quivered when she hears what Sydney just said. It’s like Sydney has just dropped a bomb on her and their entire family. Shiri Katz begins to shake uncontrollably in sobs but she doesn’t want Sydney to hear her cry over the phone. 

She tries to compose herself though she feels like a sharp blade has just swiped across her heart causing it to choke in her own blood. 

“Sydney, you know we love you so much. Be kind to your soul, my daughter.” Her mother says croakily. Hurt and sadness is clear in her voice. “I can’t talk anymore, goodbye.” And just like that her mother ends the call. 

Sydney just stands there staring blankly at her phone. Her mind floats to her mother and on what she has just said. 

“What just happened?” Her breathing quickens and she feels a little numb that she has to reach for the kitchen counter for support. 

Then it dawns on her. She has just confessed to her mother; the very person who loves her the most, who taught her the best she can on how to be the perfect wife to a man, the perfect mother to her children, the perfect caretaker to her family. 

Sydney doesn’t even realise that her palms are sweating. She has been holding her breath and anticipated an explosion of screams from her mother. She would have braced herself for her mother’s wrath. But instead, her mother’s silence and weak ‘goodbye’ confuses her and rattles her even more. 

Perhaps her mother is having a delayed reaction, she thinks to herself. But that doesn’t help at all to shake the anxiety she is feeling. She can’t imagine how her mother is going to break it to her father and sister.

 

_‘Be kind to your soul’_

 

Those words replays over and over again in her head until she feels her head spins. 

So she plops herself on the couch and holds her throbbing head in her hands as tears starts to stream down her cheeks.

 

…………………………………………………

 

Maggie comes back shortly after that, looking vibrant and sweating in her sweat shirt. She has only been out for an hour. 

“ _Honey, I am home_ ,” she announces sweetly as she smiles at Sydney. She didn’t realise yet the anxiety state that Sydney is in at the moment. In her mind, Sydney is just sitting there on the couch enjoying her morning before breakfast. 

She bends down and drops a kiss on Sydney’s cheek and walks over to the kitchen counter with their breakfast in hand. 

With her not so well singing talent, Maggie sings softly to the slow tune playing in her earpieces that she uses to warm down.

_All that I am_

_All that I'll be_

_Means nothing at all_

_If you can't be with me_

_Your most innocent kiss_

_Or your sweetest caress_

_Seduces me_

Maggie washes her hands and face at the kitchen sink and then she takes her sweat shirt off revealing only her tight black top tank.

_I don't care about tomorrow_

_I've given up on yesterday_

_Here and now is all that matters_

_Right here with you is where I'll stay_

 

She takes out two plates and two mugs from the kitchen cabinet as she continues to hum and belts the chorus wholeheartedly the best she could.

_And if I should die tomorrow_

_I'd go down with a smile on my face_

_I thank God I've ever known you_

_I fall down on my knees_

_For all the love we've made_

 

She can’t help but feels amused inside that the song manages to turn her on. As if she is singing about her love for Sydney. 

Maggie continues to hum as she dishes the pancakes and muffins on each plate at equal share between them. Her stomach growls at the smell of delicious coffee as she pours the hot beverage into the mugs. 

“This coffee smells heavenly, sweetheart. I don’t know about you but I am starving. That run makes me really hungry.” Maggie says without turning to Sydney. 

When there is no response from Sydney, only then it occurred to Maggie that Sydney has been quiet. She feels puzzled and worried. 

Maggie takes the earpieces from her ears and places it together with her phone on the kitchen counter and walks towards Sydney. Maggie sits on the coffee table so that she is facing Sydney on the couch. 

She takes in the pale look on Sydney’s face and her clenched hands under her chin. She looks deeply into the damped beautiful hazel eyes and notices the faraway sadness in it. 

“Baby, are you all right?” Maggie asks with concern in her voice as she brushes Sydney’s hair away from her eyes and cups her jaw with her left hand. Her right hand reaches for her forearm carefully. “Are you hurt?” 

Sydney shakes her head and fresh streams of tears flow down her cheeks. 

“Baby, what is it? What happened?” Maggie tries again, anxiously this time. 

Sydney looks at Maggie with her teary eyes. Her lips quiver and her nose watery. 

“I called my mother. We talked the usual stuffs and then she asked me about Hershel again. So I told her.” Sydney says calmly but with croaked voice. 

Maggie stares at her. 

“You told her…what?” Maggie asks slowly and cautiously. 

Sydney takes a deep breath and exhales. 

“I told her…I can’t be with any man….that I like girls.” Sydney says slowly in return. Her hands clasped tightly on her lap. 

Maggie’s throat runs dry and she swallows involuntarily.

“What did she say?” Maggie asks softly, her eyes never leaving Sydney’s face. 

“She’s just being a good Jewish mother.” Sydney says instead and bends her head. 

“Sweetheart, what did she say?” Maggie asks again, her hand holds Sydney’s face up gently so that she could see her face again. 

Sydney stares at Maggie and breathe in deeply again before she answers. “She said that they love me very much. She asked me to be kind to my soul. Then she said she can’t talk anymore and she said goodbye.” Sydney says it all in one breath. 

“That’s it? That’s all she said? No angry screaming and cursing?” Maggie’s eyes wide in bewilderment now. 

“That’s the thing.” Sydney answers. “The undercurrent is what bothers me the most,” she adds. “I should be glad that this is out of my closet now, but I don’t feel like my burden is any lighter.” 

“ _Oh..sweetheart, come here,_ ” Maggie whispers and gathers Sydney in her arms, holding her tight when she feels Sydney’s body shudders. 

She kisses Sydney's face wherever she can and rubs her back to soothe her. 

“Be kind to your soul, she said,” Sydney repeats softly in Maggie’s chest as Maggie strokes her hair and continues to rub her back. 

Then something hit Maggie at the back of her mind. 

“Is that a game changer?” she asks Sydney carefully while still holding Sydney tight in her arms. 

At that Sydney pulls herself away, enough to give her space to look at Maggie in the eyes. 

“I care about you. No, that’s not accurate. I love you with all of me. I wish I can sing so that I can sing my feeling out to you. This is so overwhelming. When we woke up this morning, I didn’t expect that I would be confessing to my mother about myself today, in the way that it happened. It just dawned on me that finally I told my mother,” Sydney says. 

“In a way, it is a game changer in the sense that I am not going to keep you in the closet anymore. That is if you are comfortable with us.” Sydney adds looking hopefully at Maggie. 

At that, Maggie kisses Sydney on the lips longer than Sydney is prepared for that she has to break away a little for much needed air. Then she leans in again for more sweet kisses from Maggie. Small bites and nibs on the lips slowly progresses to deeper kisses. When they break away, it is Maggie’s turn to speak. 

“We are in this together. You have me. I got you. I am not leaving you alone to face this. I want to be able to do something for you, for us,” Maggie says. “I am going to tell my mom about us today too,” Maggie promises.

As if their promises need sealing, their stomachs growl loudly at the same time. That and the lighter air enable them to laugh away the stressful morning together. Both women kiss one more time and they get up to the kitchen counter holding each other’s hand tightly. 

In their hearts they feel they could face their future together as long as they have each other’s back and yes…unconditional love too.


	31. I Hear Your Halo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A mother’s love speaks in many ways. A lover’s love sings to the heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Picked up right where I left you at the previous chapter. I apologise for the long gap. But I hope this update will somehow fill some void. Thank you for your patience. Special thanks to my readers who checked in daily for any update, I do notice you.

That noon when both doctors are back at the hospital, they start their day by going through Maggie’s cases at Sydney’s office.

Their department received new instruction from the Board that morning. Bree and some other cancer patients will have to be transferred to another supreme hospital that runs the same cancer treatment programme. Maggie is sad about it as that has been her baby project with Billy. Nonetheless, the Boards have decided that the patients will have better treatments in the other hospital that is equipped with state of the art facility and renowned specialists. That in other way will enable their hospital to focus their resources on other critical deceases.

Maggie has more to say about the Boards decision, but she knows Sydney already has a lot on her plate at that moment especially after the phone call with her mother that morning. So instead of lamenting, she decides to talk about it another time.

Sydney notices Maggie’s sad intake of the news nonetheless. She knows that Maggie feels hard to let the project go. Maggie has started the project with her staff from the very beginning and is very driven in getting positive results for the patients. This out turn is really a pouring of cold water on their ambitious plan. At the back of Sydney’s mind she vows to make it up to Maggie.

When they have gone through all the particulars, Maggie gets up, kisses Sydney lightly on her lips and turns to leave.

But Sydney catches her by the arm and pulls her back. She cups Maggie’s jaw in one hand and kisses her - long and slow, warm and firm.

When she lets go, they are both out of breath. Maggie gazes at her with dreamy eyes. She raises her left eyebrow as if asking without words _“What is that for?”_

Sydney smiles and rubs her hands along Maggie’s upper arms.

“I love you.. I want you to always know that. And I miss you…whenever we are apart. I want you to know that too.” Sydney says as she looks at Maggie’s almost teary eyes.

Maggie feels her heart swells and it shows in her eyes. “Well.. I have no complaint about that. You can kiss me anytime you want.” Maggie says as she wraps Sydney tightly in her arms.

“ _And_ …I too want you to know that I love you and that I always miss you… _even_ when I’m with you.” Maggie adds without any twitch on her nose.

Sydney holds her breath at those beautiful words of love from Maggie.

 “I know you are sad about this project, but in our line of work there will always be other projects we can do. Trust me. We will do great things together. We’ll both see to it.” Sydney adds with a squeeze at Maggie’s lower back.

Maggie purses her lips and nods. “I know,” she says with a weak smile as she cradles Sydney’s head warmly on her chest. Sydney admits in her heart that it is one of her most favorite spot of late. Sydney lets herself melt into Maggie’s embrace and inhales deeply to draw in some strength from her.

“Are you okay?” Maggie asks softly after a moment.

“ _Yeah_..I am,” Sydney answers with a sigh. Maggie looks into her eyes to make sure Sydney is telling the truth. She knows Sydney is carrying a heavier burden in her heart at that moment, but she decides not to push it for now.

  _“Baby, I can hear your Halo…it’s written all over your face,”_ Maggie’s eyes tell Sydney. She only hopes that she can carry the burden together with Sydney.

 

Instead, “I’ll see you soon, sweetheart,” Maggie says softly, stroking Sydney’s left cheek with the back of her left hand.  She leans in for one more kiss and turns towards the door to leave the room.

Sydney can feel the quiver in Maggie’s lips. Something tells her that Maggie can feel the predicament she is in right now. And she is glad that she has her sweet Maggie with her in this journey.

Sydney follows her out of the room and looks on until Maggie turns around the corner. Her heart reaches out to Maggie as she lets her mind lingers on the embrace they just shared. She feels loved, she feels belonged to. But that’s not enough. She wants to give back to Maggie. She wants to make Maggie feel confident, grounded and secured with her. Above all, she wants Maggie to feel her undivided love.

Out of nowhere, a poem comes to Sydney’s mind…

‘ _Her touch on my skin is like a soothing jazz to my heart. She calms my mind and croons my body_.’

 

Meanwhile, in the elevator on her way down to the ward, Maggie thinks about what Sydney said to her. She smiles to herself.

‘A _ll things are ready, if our mind be so’_

Her favourite quote from Shakespeare comes to mind. She takes out her phone and presses her mother’s number.

 

“Hi mom..how are you?....

Brace yourself….

I’ve got big news….

I have a girlfriend….

She’s a rock star OBGYN.”

 

………………

 

“Sydney! Good to see you. How are you feeling today?” Dr. Shebb asks. She looks concerned.

“Hi Lena! I’m fine, thanks for asking.” Sydney answers with a smile, feeling light hearted when she meets the specialist in the lab room that they use as their project base.

Then she notices the concerned looks on Lena’s face. “You looked worried. Is everything ok?” Sydney adds, a frown appears on her forehead.

“Yeah, everything is fine with me. Though I _am_ a little concern about the review that you emailed me last night.” Dr. Shebb answers.

“ _Oh_ …What about it?” Sydney asks.

“There is a long line of _mmmmm_ at the end of the review. I can’t make out what you meant by them. So I figured you were probably too tired and sleepy while reviewing, which is so unlike you.” Dr. Shebb says.

“What do you mean long line of _mmmmm_?” Sydney asks in puzzle.

“Here, I show you.”  Dr. Shebb turns her laptop to face Sydney.

And Sydney stares at the long line of _mmmmm_ that Lena meant.

Sydney tries to figure that out. How did the _mmmmm_ came about in her email to Lena.

Then the revelation hits her. That was the time when Maggie was nuzzling her ears and neck. Sydney can feel her cheeks and throat blush terribly in front of Lena.

Sydney has to clear her throat and look away for a moment. To cover what really happened Sydney chuckles nervously and says, “owh, my hand must have hit the _m_ key accidentally and I didn’t realized that when I hit the send key. Sorry about that.” 

She hopes Lena buys that. Lena gives her a long look before she decides to let it go. She nods.

“So the _mmmmm_ don’t stand for any meaning in the review right?” Lena asks again.

Sydney shakes her head a little too hard and says “nope” with a pop from her lips.

“ _Okay_..” Lena says with a long exhale, “Let’s get started then. With the progress that we are making, we should be able to conclude the results in a few days’ time.” Lena adds.

She can’t help feeling a tit of sadness that her time working with Sydney will soon be over.

“Yeah, I am glad. Then we both can move on to new projects.” Sydney concurs on a different note.

 

……………………….

Later that afternoon, without informing, Sydney’s mother makes a surprise visit to Sydney at the hospital. Shiri Katz has to see her daughter in person and talk to her face to face about the life revelation that Sydney dropped on her that morning. However, she decides not to tell her husband and her other daughter about it yet. She must see Sydney herself to be sure. This is a matter of life and death in their community.

Shiri comes to the ward asking to see Dr. Sydney Katz and a nurse brings her to Maggie who at that time is writing some reports at the nurses’ station.

“Dr. Lin, this is Dr. Katz’s mother,” says the nurse.

Maggie’s face turns pale. She stares at the elder Katz and notices the resemblance between mother and daughter in an instant. They both have the same aura and same command for attention in them. Sydney’s mother wears a scarf over her hair that looks like a wig to Maggie.

Maggie does not realize that she has been staring at Sydney’s mother until the other woman starts to talk.

“ _Shalom_ , I am Shiri Katz; Sydney’s mother. I need to see my daughter right away.” Shiri says as she extends her right hand to Maggie for a hand shake. There is an alarm of dangerous stern in her voice.

Maggie catches herself and swallows hard. “I am sorry. _Ahrm…_ I am Maggie Lin, I work with Sydney.” Maggie manages to say, accepting the hand shake offered to her.

“You are _Maggie Lin_? _The_ _Maggie Lin_?” Shiri asks in surprise.

“ _The one and only_.” Maggie jokes nervously, not sure how to behave in front of Shiri Katz.

 _Alpha woman_ comes straight to Maggie’s mind in that instant. In Maggie’s mind Sydney is always a major alpha, but after meeting Shiri Katz, she knows for sure where Sydney got her alpha vibes.

“I’ll bring you to her.” Maggie offers, taking short breaths as she motions for Shiri to come with her.

While they are walking towards the lab, Maggie sends Sydney a quick text to give her a heads up.

 

‘ ** _Your mom is here. I’m bringing her to you now_**.’

 

Sydney smiles when she sees an incoming text from Maggie. But her smile quickly erased from her face when she sees the message. Sydney scrambles to her feet, tells Lena that she needs to take care of something important urgently and leaves the lab.

Halfway, the three women meet.

“ _Ima._.!” Sydney greets her mother as she extends her open arms to hug her mother. She kisses her mother on both cheeks.

“What are you doing here?” Sydney asks in surprise. She’s clearly nervous at her mother’s sudden visit. Should her mother has made that visit in any other day, Sydney would have been thrilled, but not today, not after what Sydney told her mother that morning.

Shiri didn’t smile instead she says “I had to come.”

Three pairs of eyes exchanges looks but with different thoughts in each heads.

 

Sydney’s thought: _My mother’s wrath is coming on me right now. This is not how I wish you two will meet._

Maggie’s thought: _My prospect mother in law is right here in front of me and she scares me to death. I am worried for Sydney._

Shiri’s thought: _Where do I start with you Sydney?_

 

They stand there looking at one another for a moment too long until Shiri looks at Sydney and says, “Can we talk in private?”

Without much of a word, Maggie looks at Sydney and excuses herself. She lets Sydney brings her mother to her office so that they could talk privately.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think. I would love to hear from you.


	32. Opens Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “It’s not like I woke up one day and decided to like girls instead of boys”
> 
> A mother will go all out to fight for her children's best interests.  
> Though not necessarily in the form of banishment or fire spitting raging anger.  
> Love works in many ways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is different from the plot we are used to.  
> 

“So who is she?”

Shiri asks straight to Sydney’s face when they are alone in Sydney’s office. They are not even seated yet.

“Who…is what?” Sydney asks her mother hesitantly.

“Who is she that made you turn your back against your religion, against your faith and against your very family?” Shiri can’t hold herself back from shooting all the questions to Sydney. Her tone is very much the fierce Jewish mother that she is.

 Sydney holds her breaths. Her heart pumps so hard that one could see the thumping movement on her chest. Her head throbs that she has to reach for one of the chairs to sit.

She doesn’t know how to explain this to her mother right now though she has ran the simulations of this scene numerous times in her head ever since she dated Maggie.

When Sydney doesn’t give her any answer, Shiri shoots her another question.

“Do you understand at all what you have told me? Do you know what that would mean to your life and to our family?”

Sydney feels like a deer caught by headlights.

She closes her eyes, breathes deeply and gathers all the courage in her to look at her mother in the face.

“ _Ima_ …I didn’t suddenly decide this over a day or over a girl. I’ve known this feeling for as long as I know how to feel for someone.” Sydney says in a low voice, making sure she maintains her uttermost respect for her mother.

Her mother inhales deeply and exhales slowly. Rubbing her temple she sits on the chair next to Sydney and faces her.

“Can’t you discard your notion and live a normal life?” Her mother surprisingly pleads with her. Her hands clasped on her lap.

“ _Ima_ …I don’t know how normal life feels like. All my life I have been feeling this way. This is the only _normal_ that I know.” Sydney answers with teary eyes.

“Why now? Why tell me now?” her mother asks again.

“Because, you started to arrange a marriage for me,…because I can never marry a man,…and because… I’m in love with someone.” Sydney spells out one after another to her mother with a low voice. Subconsciously, she rubs her sweaty hands on her pants when she says the last one.

“So, I am right. Some girl made you bravely declared that you like girls to me.” Her mother hisses.

Sydney looks up at her mother. She is not sure if she should expose Maggie right now. Sydney is worry what her mother would do towards Maggie if she knew who Maggie is to her daughter.

But, it’s too late. The question pops out again.

“So who is she?” Shiri asks again, looking at Sydney straight in the eyes.

Sydney hesitates. Then she says slowly, “You met her.”

Her mother’s eyes widens out of shock. “And _you and her_ …? So that’s why you talk so much about her? Is she gay?” Shiri drives the nail straight to the wall.

Sydney quickly says, “No, I believe not. She dated men before me. She once was pregnant but had an unfortunate miscarriage. I guess in her case she is just going with the flow.”

“Unlike me, I’ve always been drawn and attracted to my same gender since I can remember. Boys are just like good friends to me, nothing more. I never feel any romantic feeling towards them.”

Sydney can feel her face flushes with hot embarrassment as she says that slowly to her mother.

She can’t believe she is talking to her mother about this right now. In her family and her community in general, this topic is very delicate and _very_ taboo.

To emphasis that, her mother is already looking up to the Heavens with silent prayer on her lips. She shut her eyes and pinches the bridge of her nose to ease some headache away.

Sydney feels really bad for putting her mother in that position. She loves her mother so much. Her mother was the centre of her life when she was growing up and now that place has slowly been replaced by the love of her life.

“I haven’t told your father or your sister. I wanted to talk to you first. This is not a small matter Sydney. This is not like choosing between wanting to be a doctor or a lawyer. This is not like making decision about where to live. This involves our whole family, our whole community. This is very serious. You cannot undo or take it back once you decide to let it out. Do you understand?” Her mother lectures in a stern but low voice.

Sydney just nods her head and fidgets with her fingers uncomfortably.

“I am your mother; I am responsible to make sure you don’t harm yourself. I meant it when I told you to be kind to your soul. You are no more a little girl; we have taught you since you were little what are the dos and the don’ts. And, now this?”

“I would have accepted any man of your choice. But this is a _girl_! This is against our faith, against the very teaching of the Book that we revered. And you know it!” Her mother shuts her eyes.  She clasps her hands together on her chest as if in prayer.

Shiri’s face is full of concern and fear. Fear for her beloved daughter. She is almost sure that Sydney does not know what she is getting into.

“Sydney, please think again what you are doing. Don’t throw it all away for a fleeting emotion. Emotions will erode over time. But our faith prevails and sustains us, my daughter. Look beyond this world, please do it for your soul, if not for your family.” Her mother pleads earnestly. Her eyes are tender now and Sydney can almost see tiny tears at the corners of her eyes.

Sydney looks at her mother’s face with watery eyes. She feels crushed between her love for Maggie and what her mother has just said.

Sydney looks away for a moment, then she gets up to get a glass of water for her mother.

Shiri takes the glass from her and drinks half of the content. Then she places the glass on Sydney’s desk.

Sydney takes a moment before she kneels in front of her mother and clasps her hands in hers.

“ _Ima_ …I love you so much. You have a special place in my heart and so are Abba and Rivka.” Sydney says and she kisses her mother’s hands.

“But, I love her so much too. She has brought me so much happiness in my life, the kind of happiness that I never know could exist before.” Sydney adds softly.

“Maybe this is just a sexual fluidity. It will pass.” Her mother says hopefully.

Sydney is amaze that her mother knows the term at all.

“I truly hoped that was true before. I turned away every time I started to feel something for any girls before. I tried to get close to the boys in my circle, but none ever give me the same feeling. I didn’t understand it when I was young. But as I grew older, I knew I was different.” Sydney explains in a low voice now that her mother is calmer.

“Maybe it is true for Maggie, but not for me. I have always been like this.” Sydney adds.

Her mother sighs. She helps Sydney up and sits back on her seat.

“I’ll pray for the two of you. My only regret is that I didn’t pray hard enough for you before. Deep down, I was always afraid that this day may come.” Shiri says in a low voice.

Sydney looks at her mother in puzzle. She can’t get what her mother means. When Sydney doesn’t say anything, her mother continues.

“I used to notice the way you reacted towards your friends when you were growing up. With boys you could jab and joke and talk freely with them. But with girls, you would blush away and turn to your shy side. I should have taken those signs seriously back then. I should have known better.” Sydney’s mother says slow and ow while Sydney turns even redder on the face.

Sydney hadn’t known that her mother was observing her that way in her younger age. And she thought that she has been very successful in hiding her feelings from the people close to her. _Ohh_ how wrong she was.

Sydney can’t look at her mother’s face anymore so she look away towards the window and out of the room aimlessly.

“Especially every time Neshema was around.” Her mother adds and looks at Sydney.

Sydney turns to look at her mother instantly at the mention of Neshema’s name.

Her mother’s eyes are a mixture of regrets, anxiety and sadness that Sydney has to look down to her clasps hands.

“ _You knew_..,” is all Sydney could whisper.

“Sydney, remember this, it is never too late to turn back no matter how deep you are involved. I am talking to you as your mother and I only want you to be safe.”

“Though I cannot imagine what your Abba will say to you about all this when I tell him.”

Sydney purses her lips and wipes her tears with her palms. She dreads her father’s reaction when he finds out. His wrath can shake their whole household to the core if he lets it.

Then her mother gets up. “I have said what I came to say.”

Sydney too gets up but she doesn’t know what to do next until her mother reaches out and holds her tightly that she could feel the shiver in her mother’s embrace.

She kisses Sydney on both cheeks and cups her face lovingly in her hands. Tears are visible in her eyes.

“Goodbye my heart.” Her mother says as strong as she can sound like.  She gather her small bag and turn to leave while Sydney just stands there trying to take it all in.

 

_Goodbye my heart?_

 

“ _Ima_..wait,” Sydney quickly calls when she comes to her senses.

“Are you going back already?”  

“Yes, I will catch the next plane home. I can catch the taxi, no need to worry about me.” Her mother says.

“But you just got here. Can’t you spend the night?” Sydney quickly offers.

“I promised your Abba that I’ll be coming home tonight.”

“I can send you.” Sydney quickly offers.

“No need. You are working. But you can call the taxi for me.” Her mother uses her Jewish stern tone with her.

“Okay, I’ll wait with you then.” Sydney says, holding her mother’s arm closely as they walk out of the room.

Both Katzs walk together towards the elevator without saying anything to each other but there are undercurrents beneath their calm demeanor; Shiri with her fearful heart for her daughter’s fate and Sydney with the storm in hers.

 

Out of a sudden Sydney’s mother break the silence, “I want to see Maggie before I go.”

 


	33. Bleeding L.O.V.E.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The mother interrogates the girlfriend. 
> 
> “If it is wrong to love you, then my heart just won’t let me be right" – Mariah Carey (My All)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to let these difficult and torturing chapters over with so that I can move to the next phase.

“ _Ima_ ….believe me this decision is nothing near easy for me because I love my faith and I love my family so much.” Sydney says to her mother while they are still in the elevator.

“But I can’t be who I am and be with our community at the same time. I can’t deceive myself anymore. I’ll just live a low key life so that I won’t hurt anyone so much. But I can’t pretend to be what I am not and remain in the closet forever.” Sydney says in slowly in a low voice to her mother.

“If this is your natural inclination, at least don’t drag Maggie or anyone else into it with you. Let her live a normal life.” Her mother whispers sternly.

Sydney looks at her mother and tries to digest what her mother is trying to tell her. “But that’s the thing _Ima_ , we are so in love. I can’t lose her.”

“And what if one day she stops loving you,…and your life is already out there in the open,…what will you do?” Shiri asks.

Sydney turns to look at the close doors and considers deeply before answering her mother.

“Then we will let life choose the course for us if that ever happens.”

Her mother sighs.

They walk side by side out of the elevator and Sydney guides them towards the nurses’ station to find Maggie. But Maggie is not there. One of the nurses says that Dr. Lin and Dr. Scott are with Bree for her final procedure in hospital before she will be transferred.

So, Sydney texts Maggie to meet her at one of the Consultation room as soon as she can leave.

‘ ** _Can you come to Room 1? My mother asked to see you before she leaves_**.’

 

Maggie makes herself engrossed in her tasks and briefs Billy about all the procedures. But at the back of her mind she can’t help but to feel nervous and worry about Sydney’s meeting with her mother upstairs.

When Sydney’s text comes in, she quickly asks Billy to continue and promises to Bree that she will see her before she’s transferred.

Maggie leaves the room and walks as fast as she could towards Room 1 with so much questions come to her mind.

When she reaches the room, both Sydney and her mother look at her way almost immediately.

Maggie’s beautiful wide eyes look at each of them in turns as she breathes hard from the rush to reach there.

Shiri notices the attraction that Maggie has…but still, she’s a girl. She still can’t accept that her daughter is gay. Her beloved sweet brilliant daughter….  

What Sydney chooses for her life is between her and Heaven but in this world and in their community, this could mean banishment. And that hurts her heart to the core.

Shiri comes to stand in front of Maggie and look at her in the eyes.  Shiri is just slightly taller than Sydney, so she still has to look up at Maggie.

“Sydney told me about you two.” Shiri starts her interrogation in a cold voice.

Maggie looks at Sydney and Sydney looks apologetically back at Maggie. Maggie gives Sydney a small smile to tell her that it is okay.

Then Maggie turns her eyes back at Sydney’s mother and nods slowly.

"And Sydney told me that she loves you.” Shiri adds in the same cold tone.

Maggie takes a deep breath and says in a cool voice, “And I love her.”

It’s Shiri’s turn to inhale deeply.

“But you are not gay.” Shiri points sharply.

Again Maggie turns to look at Sydney. This time Sydney stares at her with wide eyes, not knowing what Maggie will say about that.

“I love Sydney not because she’s a girl or she’s not a boy. I love her for the person that she is, all of her. She lifted me up when I was down at my worst and I’ve fallen for her ever since.” Maggie says.

Shiri stands there staring at Maggie, taking in her bold declaration. If Maggie had been a guy Shiri would have been amazed and proud of what Maggie said about her daughter. But things are different. Shiri feels that she is losing her daughter further away.  

“Maggie, I don’t know you so I can’t judge you. And I won’t, even if I know a tiny bit about you. Sydney has mentioned about you so many times back at home and on the phone before this. But that’s the extent of my knowledge about you.” Shiri says.

Then carefully Shiri adds, “Don’t make the wrong decision on your life. You can live a normal life. Don’t get deeper into this, you can still turn away.”

Sydney looks horrified when her mother done saying that. She quickly looks at Maggie with alarmed stares. Her hands are nervously fisted in her lab coat pockets. But Maggie chooses not to look at Sydney, though she can read Sydney’s expression from the corner of her eyes.

“I cannot imagine myself without Sydney anymore. We really love one another. I am sorry if you feel differently about this. I can respect that. You are Sydney’s mother; the person who brought her into this world and I am grateful for you. Because of you I get to meet the wonderful person that Sydney is.” Maggie says contritely.

Shiri presses her left hand on her forehead to hide the tears she feels in her eyes.

Maggie’s expression turns to guilty and sorry look at the state Sydney and she put Shiri in.

Then Maggie adds, “I wish it is that simple to turn my feelings out. If I don’t love Sydney that much, it would be easier. But, I promise that I’ll be with her and be by her side for whatever she decides for her life.”

Shiri takes a deep breath and sighs.

And Maggie continues, “Sydney is a great person. I love her passion about life, about helping others. And I’m privileged to have her love me back the way that I love her.”  

Shiri feels she is losing this battle.

Maggie is so adamant that Shiri feels she can’t be talked out of this anymore. So she goes for the more important thing.

“Sydney is a faithful Jew. Her faith is her stronghold.” Shiri looks Maggie straight in the eyes.

“And that’s one of the things I love the most about her. She is strong in her faith and I won’t ask her to change any of that, not one bit.” Maggie answers without a blink.

Shiri shakes her head and sighs. She turns towards Sydney. “I can’t make you drop all this and come home with me, can I? I feel I am losing you Sydney.”

Sydney looks lovingly at her mother and slowly takes her _Ima’s_ hands in hers.

“This is who I am. I’m not a different person from the one you brought up and cared for. Minus the girlfriend, I am still me, your daughter. You still have me.”

Shiri sniffles. “You both are adults and learned. You should know what you are getting into. I can only pray for the two of you.”

When the taxi arrives, both Sydney and Maggie walk her to the entrance.

Shiri looks at both of them one last time with sad eyes. Then she turns to go to the taxi waiting for her outside the entrance.

“ _Ima_..!” Sydney calls out.

She rushes to her mother and hug her tightly. “I love you,” Sydney whispers to her ears.

When Sydney lets go both Katzs have tears in their eyes as they say their goodbyes.

Maggie stands at the side looking tenderly at the mother and daughter embracing each other. ‘ _Blood is thicker than water’_ comes to her mind. Her heart swell with love and pride for Sydney at the way Sydney treated her mother with uttermost respect and love even in the circumstances they are in now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will start a new phase of this story.


	34. Wrapped in Her Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time alone after the storm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Wrap your arms around me, let your love surround me”  
> Agnetha Faltskog, Wrap Your Arms around Me

After Sydney’s mother left in the taxi, Maggie comes closer to Sydney and gathers her in her arms. She rubs Sydney’s back and kisses her temple to soothe her. She can only imagine what Sydney is feeling at that very moment.

Sydney hugs Maggie back briefly and then let go when passers-by look their way. “ _Too much PDA,_ ” she murmurs to Maggie with a small smile.  Maggie nods and lets her go but leaves her left hand on Sydney’s lower back instead.

Sydney fisted her hands deeply in her lab coat pockets and breathes deeply.

“This feels like the longest and the hardest day of my life.”

Maggie purses her lips and says in a low voice, “I’m so sorry sweetheart.”

Sydney doesn’t say anything but gazes tenderly at Maggie. She doesn’t have to say a thing; her glistening eyes tell all that Maggie needs to know.

“I’ll walk you back to the lab.” Maggie offers and Sydney nods.

They walk side by side silently taking in the whole thing with Sydney’s mother in their heads. The whole thing still feels surreal to both of them. The meeting could have turned out worst. But as it is, they still can breathe though shaken.

“I guess we are officially out now,” Maggie breaks the silent.

Sydney smiles faintly, “I guess we are.”

……………..

“Ready to go?”

Sydney has changed into her casual clothes ready to head home. It’s almost 10 o’clock and she drops by at the wards to check on things at the nurses’ station and to get Maggie.

“Yeah, just give me a minute.” Maggie answers. She too has changed to her jeans and jacket and while waiting for Sydney to come down, she has been logging out some reports for the next shift to take over.

Dr. Billy Scott comes from around the corner while drinking from a packet of chocolate milk. He decides to walk towards his superiors to say ‘hi’ and ‘goodnight’. But before he could say anything, Sydney beats him to it.

“C _hocolate milk!”_ Sydney calls to him as a way of acknowledging him. Billy stops on his steps and smiles nervously at her. He still feels a little nervous whenever _The Red Chief_ is near. His respect for the doctor is immense and he is a little star struck at the moment.

Maggie smirks when she notices how Billy turns red from neck up to his face and ears. But instead of teasing Billy, she simply inclines her head and says, “ _Billy_...” while suppressing her grin.

“Ermm, I’m just coming over to say goodnight.” Billy says. His eyes dart between Sydney and Maggie. He could feel the chemistry between the two lady doctors every time they are together, but he didn’t dare to say it out loud no matter how curious he is. And tonight is no different even though the chemistry is exceptionally strong. He would rather be the supportive junior than to tease them.

“And we say _goodnight_ to you too,” Sydney replies.

“It shouldn’t take Shelby too long to finish her 1KM and me my 5KM tomorrow. I’ll walk with her for the first 1 KM and then run the rest. But you are in charge while I’m gone.” Maggie says to Billy. Her wide beautiful eyes look brilliant as always.

“Don’t worry Dr. Lin, I’ll hold the fort.” Billy grins back at Maggie.

Both ladies look knowingly at each other – their eyes signalled that it is time to go home.

“Goodnight Dr. Scott”

“Goodnight Billy”

Sydney says the former and Maggie says the latter in unison.

“Goodnight Doctors.” Billy says, teasing them with his two fingers cowboy salute.

Walking together towards the exit in full view of those in the hallways, Sydney’s right hand reaches for Maggie’s left hand. Maggie looks at her and squeezes. She expects Sydney to let go after that like she normally does, but this time she didn’t. Sydney doesn’t let go, instead she firms her grip. Maggie’s heart takes a flip but she doesn’t show it. She just keeps calm and keeps walking tall with Sydney holding her hand confidently.

As if the stars are aligned in the sky, both Sydney and Maggie whisper together silently in their hearts, “ _We are going to be fine_.”

From a distance, Billy witnesses the exchange of affection between the two beautiful doctors.    

“ _Lovebirds are finally out_ ,” he murmurs to himself with a smile and turns to start his rounds.

 ………………..

“Sweetheart you got to get to bed now. The run is tomorrow. You need to rest.” Sydney says.

Reluctantly Maggie gets up from the couch and switches off the television.

“My legs feel sore,” Maggie complains as she walks slowly towards the bedroom.  It’s almost midnight by the time they settled in.

“I think I can offer you some massaging and cuddling time tonight,” Sydney says as she walks behind Maggie towards the bedroom.

“I have no doubt about the cuddling part. But do you know how to massage a sore leg Dr. Katz?” Maggie teases.

“Oh... I know a thing or two about leg massage Dr. Lin. I can even give you a full body massage if you want me too.”

“Hmm… _that_ sounds delicious,” Maggie chuckles as she stretches both of her arms up over her head and brings one hand down to cover her mouth when she feels a yawn coming.

“Alright then, off with the clothes. Leave only the underpants.”

“Yes, my queen.” Maggie teases in mock fear mimicking a character in _Alice in Wonder Land_. And she did as she was told.

…………………….

 

Turns out, Sydney is very talented with her hands. Her fingers move smoothly but firm on Maggie’s flesh. The same fingers apply some soothing sunflower oil to give smooth effect to the massage.

Maggie moans softly as each pressure releases the tightness and reliefs the sore in her muscles.

“ _Mhmmm_ …I can get use to this..,” Maggie drawls, with her face sideways on the pillow. Sydney straddles her from behind as she pushes smooth and strong pressure on Maggie’s back and shoulders. Then she slowly moves downwards to the thighs and legs, taking care of each side at one time.

Sydney tries to stay focus but Maggie’s soft moans didn’t help much.

Sydney can feel a warm feeling deep in her belly and slowly she feels an ache builds up between her legs. Her bosom feels tight and her breathing uneven. But she feels tonight is not about her, she wants to help Maggie ease her tiredness. So she tries her best not to pay attention to the aching feeling. “I can still at least enjoy the view,” Sydney thinks with a small smile on her lips as her eyes take in Maggie’s cloth less body sprawled on her belly on the bed in her full view.

When she is done with Maggie’s toes, Sydney comes up and kisses Maggie’s back…one kiss, two kisses, three kisses…Sydney’s heart is beating so fast now and she swallows hard involuntarily without she realising. Maggie’s soft and warm skin is too much to handle.

 _“If only you know what you are doing to me right now?_ ” Sydney thinks. Her breath warm and her lips red hot with arousal on Maggie’s skin.

Sydney takes a deep breath and exhales to release her frustration.

She wants to love her Maggie, but Maggie is tired and the run is tomorrow. _“No, I can’t let her all worked up_.” Sydney says in her mind, no matter how worked up she herself is at that moment.

Maggie seems to have dozed off as she is quiet and breathing evenly. Sydney smiles with love as she gazes at Maggie’s sweet sleeping face. Kissing Maggie’s bare shoulder, Sydney pulls their thick soft cover over Maggie’s body. She didn’t want to wake her up.

Sydney switched the bedside light off and snuggles under the cover next to Maggie.

**_Five minutes later…._ **

Sydney’s mind can’t seem to rest. The frustration is too much to tame. Sleeping close to Maggie does not help at all. She keeps turning in bed though she tries to be gentle. The bed bounces a little when she does that. It didn’t escape Maggie.

“Can’t sleep?” Maggie asks just above a whisper.

“I’m sorry.” Sydney is caught in surprise. “Did I wake you up? Go back to sleep. You’ll need the energy tomorrow.” Sydney says apologetically.

“I wasn’t really sleeping.” Maggie says with a small smile. She turns to her side to face Sydney.

“I was just waiting.”

Sydney turns to her side too so that she’s facing Maggie.

 “Waiting for what?” Sydney asks.

“…for you.”

“…for me?” Sydney asks again with arched eyebrows.

“Do you think that I will not get all worked up when you touched and massaged me all over?” Maggie asks softly.  

“Your hands feel really good. And your kisses feel even better.” Maggie adds.

Sydney takes a deep shaky breath in and exhales in length.

“And here was I thinking I was the only one all worked up.” Sydney answers with a smile as she opens her arms to wrap Maggie tight into her.

Maggie leans in to kiss Sydney passionately on her lips, her hands already making their way to shred Sydney’s clothes off.

 “What have you done to me Maggie?" Sydney whispers huskily. Her whole face blushes heavily, arousal is clear in her eyes.

“Nothing more than what you have done to me, sweetheart.” Maggie drawls back as she covers Sydney with the length of her body.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a short relax chapter after meeting with Sydney's mother.  
> This story still stores a few surprises up ahead.


End file.
